Naruto: My Way!
by ANBUShizuka
Summary: My first fic! My take on how Naruto and his friends get Sasuke back, defeat Akatsuki, and find love! Pairings are NxH, SxS, SxI, TxJ, CxT, GxM, and a lot more. Please R&R! //Will be revised after completion//
1. Mission or NO Mission

Me: OK, so this is my first fanfic. Please, don't be too harsh when reviewing. Constructive critisism only. I'll do the disclaimer since this is the frist chapter. I don't own Naruto or any other characters (except my OCs of course!). All credit goes to Kishimoto-sama.

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"Tsunade-sama! Kakashi-kun's team is here for a new mission," Shizune announced. Her black hair shimmered in the sunlight that streamed in from the windows.

"Kakashi-kun? Nevermind...we'll talk about that later...OK?" Tsunade nodded her head. Hazel brown eyes glittered mischieviously. "Send them in..."

Naruto rushed in. His spiky blonde hair was slightly longer now. The cerulean blue of his eyes never changed though. "Gyah! Tsunade baa-chan! Guess what!" yelled the overexcited teen. Suddenly, Naruto was halted and whiplashed near violently. Kakashi had grasped Naruto's collar before he could pounce on the Godaime Hokage. Not that she minded or anything. It was like having her little brother back.

"Sorry, Hokage-sama. Naruto can be a little..." Kakashi grappled for the right word.

"Overexuberant?" Shizune hinted. She blushed slightly as Kakashi gave her a thankful smile.

"Exactly."

Tsunade shook her head in bewilderment just as Sakura and Sai walked in. Sai took one look at Naruto and burst into a fit of laughter. Glaring at the pale boy quite pointedly, Godaime Hokage decided to relieve Kakashi of holding Naruto back. "It's so good to see you all in one piece. But don't you think you should rest?" Naruto immediately hugged Tsunade in a fierce bear-hug.

"Awwww...but Tsunade baa-chan! I'm all fired up and ready to go on another mission! And besides, Sakura healed us all with her medical ninjutsu!" whined Naruto. To prove this, Naruto lifted his shirt. Running up along his abs was a pale scar. "See?"

"NARUTO! Put your shirt down, baka!!!" Sakura knocked him in the head as she yelled. Turning to her sensei, Sakura hung her head and laughed at his antics. "Sorry, Shishou... he's a complete moron."

"Nee-chan!? Why did you hit me?!" Naruto shouted indignantly. He got up and started to dust himself off. Sticking his tongue out at Sakura, Naruto earned another well placed slap across the face. "OW!"

_'Those two...almost exactly like me and Nawaki...too friggin' adorable.'_ Tsunade remembered. She began laughing at the pair and soon Shizune joined in. Kakashi couldn't help but grin and chuckle. He had known these two for so long that he already knew how it would end.

"Heh heh...now that you two are quite finished. _Ahem._ Hokage-sama, I'd like to know if you'd rather we stay in the village and rest for a while or if we're to go on another mission," Kakashi stated. His silvery hair glimmered beautifully in the light of the setting sun.

_'Wow...Kakashi looks so aristocratic right now. He's very handsome!'_ Shizune thought involuntarily. When she realized that she had actually thought that, Shizune blushed a bright red. "H-Hokage-sama...may I leave now? I have to go to the hospital to check up on a couple of patients. They were expressly put into my charge."

"Very well, Shizune. When you're done however, I want you to come back. We have some..." Tsunade gave a sideways glance at Kakashi, "important matters to discuss." Sakura noticed the look that the Godaime Hokage had given Kakashi-sensei and Shizune. She had also noticed the way that Shizune kept blushing.

_'OK. Somethin' is up. And I plan to find out what!'_ Sakura declared inwardly.

At the hospital, Shizune dove into her work. Two patients had come in the previous day in critical condition. Thankfully, four of the other medics had stablized them. Shizune still had to check on and treat them however. Unfortunately, her mind kept wandering away from the matters at hand, only to settle on a certain silver-haired copy ninja. _'Darn it! Why do I keep thinking about him?! From all the symptoms I have...this can only be...NO! It can't be...'_ the raven-eyed medic nin argued with herself. Figuring that the thoughts would just whither away, the medic nin returned to working.

Meanwhile, at the Hokage's office, Team Kakashi stood waiting for the deliberating to be over with. Tsunade finally looked up from the report of the mission and simply said, "I believe that you should rest for a bit. You can't keep going on missions endlessly. Besides, this might actually put me on the council's good side for a while."

"Aw well, Naruto. Looks like we have to wait for a new mission," Sai frowned. His recent discovery of bonds and how to create them had melted his somewhat...jerkish forefront. He learned to appreciate Naruto's bond with Sasuke. He's...still working on getting Sakura to actually talk to him. Giving a small smile and a polite wave, the ANBU Root nin walked out of the Hokage's office.

"Shishou? May I speak to you after Naruto-san and Kakashi-sensei leave?" questioned the pink-haired kunoichi. Seeing the blonde nod, Sakura turned back to her teammates. Kakashi gave a polite nod and exited the room. Naruto decided to stick around for a while longer.

"Tsunade baa-chan...I-I talked with...the Kyuubi. He said that we could...merge somehow..." Naruto stammered while pressing his index fingers together. It was a nervous habit that Hinata used to have.

_'Naruto-san...do you really like Hinata-chan so much that you picked up one of her habits?'_ Sakura thought sadly. She was sad because this meant that he hadn't found his normal amount of courage to tell the young Hyuga girl.

"Naruto-chan. The Kyuubi told you that you could _merge_ with him?" clarified the blonde Hokage. Her youthful features were set in a serious face. Naruto gazed at her nervously and began to tremble.

"Tsu-Tsunade baa-chan...you've got a really serious look on your face. Y-you're scaring me. Am I gonna be OK? I mean if me and the Kyuubi merge?" Naruto asked anxiously. His blue eyes were watering slightly and Sakura remembered when this had happened once before.

**::FLASHBACK:: "That was a cool speech and all, Naruto...but if we don't stop that bleeding, you're gonna die!" Kakashi had replied in a light, cheery voice. At that, Naruto shuddered and turned a bluish, concerned color. The Jounin said, "Hold still for a minute and let me take a look at it."**

**Sakura had started yelling at her overzealous teammate, "Naruto! You have a self-abusive personality! It's called masochism!" She had her hands on her hips and was glaring at the blonde boy ferociously.**

**"K-K-Kakashi-sensei...you've got a really serious look on your face. You're scaring me. Am I gonna be OK?" asked the frantic boy.**

**The copy ninja paused a moment and finally replied, "Yes, you'll be fine." With that, the Jounin finished bandaging Naruto's hand. ::END FLASHBACK::**

"Well, I guess I'll go. I'm gettin' hungry anyway...I'm gonna get some ramen! Bye, Sakura-chan, Tsunade baa-chan! Ja Ne!" shouted the blonde ninja. Waving a hurried good-bye, he dashed out of the room. Sakura turned to her sensei and before she could say anything, the blonde woman said, "You want to know what's goin' on with Shizune-kun and Kakashi-san. Right?"

"Yeah. I saw the looks that you gave Shizune-sempai and Kakashi-sensei," Sakura said as she nodded.

The Godiame Hokage hadn't realized that Sakura's observation skills were THAT good. Smiling inwardly, she contemplated on whether or not she should wait for Shizune to get here. That would make explaining a whole lot easier. At that particular moment, a light knock sounded at her door followed by Shizune sticking her head in. She hesitated at first, seeing as Sakura was there. "C'mon and get in here, Shizune. Sheesh. It's not like we're gonna murder you or anything," Tsunade laughed.

"The way you can make light of such things astounds me, Hokage-sama," Shizune snorted. This caused Tsunade and Sakura to giggle and point at each other. Looking down, Shizune coughed lightly.

The blonde Hokage took this to mean that they could start discussing the issue. Catching the worried stare of her first apprentice and closest friend, Tsunade said, "Don't worry, Shizune-kun. Sakura-chan has seen the looks and besides...don't you think that as his student, she would know what to make of it all?" A knowing smile graced the blonde woman's lips and she giggled naughtily.

"Tsunade-sensei...you perv..." sighed the two younger women. They smiled at each other and thus began a long conversation that took up most of the night.

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Me: PLZ review!!! Tell me what I can do to improve or compliment it if you liked it. No flames plz...


	2. Shika's realization

Me: Naruto, darling...I need you to do the disclaimer.

Naruto: Why did you just call me that?

Me: Nani? Oh, you mean calling you "darling"!

Naruto: Yep.

Me: Force of habit. I call everyone darling.

Naruto: Oh, OK. Well, anyways. ANBUShizuka doesn't own any of us. We just do what she thinks we should. Kishimoto-sama is the one that owns us, so...props to Kishimoto-sama.

Me: Thankies, Naruto! Enjoy!

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"Morning, Nee-chan!!!" shouted the blonde boy. Soon, the fifteen year old was scolded for being so loud. _'I'm sure to get a knock in the head from baa-chan as soon as it registers with her who yelled...'_ thought Naruto. His blue eyes twinkled happily when his teammate started to stretch. This meant that he was in for a day of laid back fun. Over the course of his original time with Sakura and the few months he'd been back now, he had learned that Sakura usually jumps out of bed to kill whoever woke her up. On days that she decided to stretch and restrain herself, he learned that she prefered to rest. He mumbled to himself, "Today's gonna be a good day..."

"Naruto-kun! You can't be so loud! Tsunade-sensei was up all night!" scolded Shizune. Her black hair had grown longer and now tumbled over her shoulder. Pushing a few strands back, the medic nin chortled as the boy shrugged and smiled at her. Resuming her previous task, the dark-haired kunoichi started to gather reports and other documents that the Hokage should have signed. Several were, surprisingly. Tsunade hated paperwork and usually tried to find a way out of it. She much preferred gambling and drinking to the so-called "tedious ramblings" known as mission reports, treaties, and laws.

"Eh? Shizune, what is that loudmouth doing here so early?!" snapped the blonde Hokage. Aside from paperwork, the one thing Tsunade _absolutely_ hated was being woken up. Especially if the person waking her up was a man. This feeling of hatred towards men waking her up is derived from her youth with Jiraiya, Sarutobi-sensei, and Orochimaru-teme. _'Guh...I hated it when those morons would wake me up...'_

**::FLASHBACK:: "Hime...Hime, wake up! It's time to leave!" yelled a white-haired boy. His head was poked inside her tent. Leering at her, he dodged a swift kick that would have landed on his cheek. Laughing, he retreated from the tent and returned to where his teammate stood.**

**"Jiraiya no baka...wakin' me up like that..." grumbled the blonde girl. Her hair, which was usually pulled back in a ponytail, hung loosely over her ears. Hazel eyes, still bleary from sleep, gazed at the ceiling of the canvas tent.**

**"Tsunade-hime...I-I don't mean to rush you...but we really must be going," stammered a black-haired boy. His yellow eyes were a tad disturbing and his pale skin was unnatural, but otherwise...he was relatively normal.**

**"Thank you, Orochimaru-san. You're very kind," Tsunade gritted her teeth as she spoke. She was still irritable, but refused to take her anger out on this shy boy. ::END FLASHBACK::**

Sakura eyed her sensei carefully. Her narrowed eyes, scowling mouth, clenched fists, and protruding vein meant that if Naruto didn't leave RIGHT then, he'd die within seconds. "Naruto-san. You should leave. Right. Now," Sakura told her teammate seriously.

"All righty, then. I gotta go...I, uh...have training with Ero-Sannin!" Naruto stated in a flustered manner and ran out of the Hokage's office. He loved Tsunade like a grandmother. But she scared the heck out of him. Which was a common occurance among people. Tsunade is abnormally strong, extremely intelligent, excellent with her chakra control, and has a quick temper to boot. So does Sakura. _'As Ero-Sannin puts it a "Tsunade Junior" of sorts...' _Naruto laughed at the thought. Rambling down the street, Naruto noticed Shikamaru laying beneath a tree. "Hey, Shikamaru! What's up?!"

Shikamaru stirred at the loud voice in his ear. _'Man...this is such a drag...Naruto is so troublesome...'_ Standing up, he looked around and said, "Hm. What do you want at this time in the morning?" He didn't enjoy being woken up after long nights.

"Nothin' much. So...how come you wouldn't answer your phone last night? What gives?" Naruto stated in a huff. He had been trying to call his friend to ask for advice on certain matters.

"I was busy last night, Naruto. I _am_ a Chunnin after all..." Shikamaru replied. He'd been bored most of the evening until he got a text from Ino. Apparently, she was having family issues. They texted each other for about two hours and then decided to meet up and talk. He wasn't about to admit that, however.

"Huh. Fine. So, d'ya think we could-" Naruto stopped. He had heard rustling in the bushes. Barely turning, he caught sight of the intruder. "INO!?"

"What's the big deal? I can't look for my earring in peace anymore?" Ino growled at the blonde boy. _'Ugh...Naruto can be so annoying sometimes...'_ Flipping her blonde hair, Ino walked off.

Disturbed, Naruto turned back to Shikamaru. He'd been silent through the entire discussion with Ino. "What d'ya think her problem was?" Nara Shikamaru shook his head and shrugged. His dark brown hair was pulled back in a spiky mess of a ponytail. In an instant, Naruto thought of a way to get Shikamaru to train with him."Well...do you want to train with me? We can spar and practice our tactics," the blonde teen suggested.

"Sure, why not? I'm bored anyway. Just don't make this too troublesome," the Nara boy stated. Naruto was his friend and all, but sometimes he could be so troublesome and annoying.

"What is it with you and the 'troublesome' thing?" quizzed Naruto. The lazy teen across from the blue-eyed boy shrugged again and drew a kunai from his holster.

"Well, you wanted to spar. So, let's spar!" Shikamaru smirked as he threw the knife. It barely grazed Naruto's ear. Smirking, the blonde boy bolted towards his friend. _'What speed! I didn't think he had gotten this good...'_ A sharp pain erupted in his stomach. The blow was dealt so fast, so accurately. Shikamaru couldn't block. He couldn't think. Couldn't breathe. It hurt. That was all he knew. "Gwaaahhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"Sorry, Shikamaru-san. But I gotta train so that I can one day be Hokage. Heck. I might even be the Rokudaime Hokage!!"

"Yeah. I bet. Well. I'm bored and plus...that was more troublesome than it should have been. I'm gonna go take a nap."

"Shika-kun!!!!!!!!!! Tsunade-sama wants to see you! We have a new mission to go on!!"

"Ino! I told you not to call me that!"

"You honestly think she cares, _Shika-kun_?" Naruto teased the brunette boy. The irritated Nara teen followed Ino back to the Hokage's office. Upon reaching their destination, the pair heard a loud crash and a lot of yelling.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN ' THEY LOST TRACK OF HIM' ?!?!?!??! NE, SHIZUNE!?" shouted the Godaime Hokage. Her voice carried through the solid door and scared the two teenagers. Shikamaru looked at Ino and gulped. _Knock knock_. A small pause and then, "Come in."

"Y-you wanted to see me, Godaime-sama?" Shikamaru stammered. Tsunade made him nervous. Not only was she strong, but beautiful in a natural sense. She could wear leaves and still look good. A kind of earthen beauty radiated from her and made every man or boy in Konohagakure tremble.

Smiling sweetly, Tsunade replied, "Why, yes. Thanks for coming here so quickly, by the way." Tsunade paused; a frown replacing the grin and grabbed the pile of papers that sat on a picture. "I want you to look closely at these notes. Tell me what you see."

Shikamaru's eyes scanned the paper quickly and thoughtfully. His eyes widened in terror, "These...these are detailed notes and plans...on how to kill people. By means of brute force." The blonde woman nodded gravely and retrieved the papers from him.

"Shikamaru...who would make things like that? There were also some kind of contraptions and devices in there too. Labeled with how they work and what the victim will look like afterwards," Ino shivered. She wasn't cold in the sense of it being below average temperature. The shiver that ripped through her body was caused by the exemplary detail and complexity of the diagrams. A sudden warmth enveloped her. Her teammate had wrapped his arms around her slim waist. She looked up at him gratefully then sighed.

"Don't worry, Ino. I'm not about to put you on a mission where barely anything is known about the madman who wrote this-"

"It wasn't a man."

Tsunade and Ino shot surprised looks at the brunette teen who had just declaimed their theory. Shock turned to anger as Tsunade exclaimed heatedly, "And what makes you so sure?!"

"Too precise. Too thoughtful. Way too complex for a man with even MY intelligence," Shikamaru emphasized the 'MY' in that sentance. "It was definately a kunoichi. One of high intelligence and composure. She can move easily through a crowd and still go unnoticed. Her skills lie in tracking, measuring, and obviously...torture."

Ino shivered again in Shikamaru's arms. He looked down to see her face buried in his chest. Cuddling closer to her teammate, Ino choked out, "I wanna go with you if you go, Shikamaru. If it's for spying, then you'll need me. And plus, I really want to get out of the village right now. My father is being a jerk..."

Tsunade smiled warmly at the two chunnin. Deep in her heart, Tsunade felt a stir of old emotions. Clutching her heart, the Godaime said, "All right, you lovebirds...you can go on the mission together. Chouji will go with you, of course..."

_'Oh, Kami-sama..."Lovebirds" she said...does she know?!'_ Ino thought frantically. Her blue eyes widened and a small blush fell upon her cheeks. "Thank you, Shishou..."

"Ino-chan. I want to talk to you a little more. Shikamaru-san, you may leave," Tsuande waved him from the room. Taking a respectful bow and lightly squeezing Ino's hand, the Nara boy left. "So. What's going on between you and the Nara kid?" A knowing smile graced Tsunade's lips when the girl blushed an even deeper red.

"Well...last night...I was having some issues with my dad. So, I texted Shikamaru and it kinda went back and forth for about...two hours...? Then, he asked if we could meet up under his favorite tree and talk. We started talkin' about old times with Chouji and Asuma-sensei..." Ino nearly choked on Asuma's name. Her sensei was still in a coma from nearly two months ago when he fought Pein. Either way, it ended badly when Asuma gave him an uppercut with his brass knuckles. "I started crying and as Shikamaru held me...I realized something."

"Let me guess. You realized that Shikamaru had always been there for you no matter how annoying he got. You also realized that you loved him and 'accidentally' told him. Am I right?" asked the Godaime Hokage. Hazel-eyed satisfaction came as the younger blonde nodded dumbly.

"H-how did you know?" stammered Ino.

"Let's put it this way: With age, comes experience. 'kay?" smirked the older woman.

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Me: HA! I'm so evil! I'll have Ino explain to Sakura what her and Tsunade talked about. In the next...2 chapters, Ino and Sakura are going to discuss the relationships of their friends, teachers, and...the Hokage's!

Tsunade: NANI!?!?!?!? NANDE!?

Me: I already stated this. I. Am. E-v-i-l. Eh...NANI!? Tsunade-sama, what're you plannin' on usin' those exploding tags for?!

Tsunade: Oh, these? I'm gonna use them on you!

Me: (presently running away so I don't die.)

Note- Nani means what

Nande means why


	3. Enter: Akatsuki Interruption!

Me: Ok...Lee! You do the disclaimer this time!

Lee: VERY WELL, THEN!!! ANBUSHIZUKA DOESN'T OWN ANY OF US!!!!!!!! WE BELONG TO KISHIMOTO-SAMA!!!!!!!! NOW, ON WITH THE STORY THAT IS FULL OF YOUTH!!!!!!!!!!

Me: Thank...you, Lee. I appreciate that. But, he's right. On you go!

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Shizune had left before the conversation had started, already knowing that it would be about the girl's lovelife. Tsunade loved toying with people's emotions for her own enjoyment. She also did it because she could easily spot when someone was in love. As long as it wasn't herself. The blonde woman would adamantly say that she'd never fall in love again. That it caused too much pain. In any event, Tsunade had also trained Shizune to recognize such symptoms and Shizune could easily see who Tsunade was truly in love with. In fact, she knew that Tsunade had really loved this person since they were kids. And she decided that she'd enlist some help to set them up...

"Hey, you all. What're you up to?" Shizune asked the present Team 7. Sai, Sakura, Naruto, and finally...Kakashi turned to the kind assistant.

"Not much, Shizune-san. And what about you? I get the feeling that you have a wonderfully mischievious idea," Kakashi stated lightly. He was smiling behind his mask. It was a true smile because it reached his eyes.

Shizune blushed and grinned, "How did you know?" An innocent question. Or so it seemed. _'Kakashi does look awfully handsome...I wish I could kiss him...' _Shizune immediately halted and thought to herself and grimaced. _'Involuntary much!'_

"So...? What's the plan?" Sakura drawled. Her green eyes lit up. She wore a crooked smile that said all the things she wouldn't.

"Oh...I dunno. All you have to know is that it's about our beloved Hokage-sama and a certain someone..." Shizune grinned. Her smile was genuine. She had pulled her hair back into a loose bun before she had walked in. Secretly hoping to impress Kakashi, Shizune made sure her plan sounded plausible. At that moment, Ino walked up to the group. "Something wrong, Ino-san?"

"Shizune-sempai...how can you tell if you love someone?" Ino quizzed the older woman. Her blue eyes were shimmering with confusion and curiosity.

Shizune balanced her chin on the back of her hand and said quietly, "Well...your palms will get sweaty...you can't really think straight at all...all you know is that you NEED to be near that person. And if you're gone from them or them from you...the pain is just unbearable. Why?" Her onyx eyes were gazing at the blonde kunoichi intently.

Kakashi had been going through Shizune's checklist in his mind while she had been talking._ 'Heh...she forgot about loving everything about that person...like her voice, smile, eyes, lips, hair, personality...but I've got all of those symptoms. I'll just bring it up casually...'_ He looked at Shizune and gently knudged her shoulder with his hand, "So...let's say that someone loves you. How would you want them to ask you?"

Shizune immediately blushed. She thought, or tried to, and all she could come up with was, " I-I'd want them to just ask. I think people who are unafraid to tell the one they love the truth is...very...um, desirable."

"Thank you, Shizune-chan. That's all I needed to know."

"So, will you all help me with the plan or what?" Shizune finally asked. Waiting patiently for the entire ordeal to pass over, the raven-eyed medic nin was a teeny bit angry.

"Sure!" they all agreed quickly.

"All right, then. Here's the plan..." grinned the Godaime's assitant.

Inside Hokage Manor, Tsunade sneezed. (A/N: In Japan, they think that if someone talks about you, you wind up sneezing.)

"Awesome plan, Shizune-sempai! This is gonna be so cool!!" Naruto yelled in excitement. The joy was cut off short as a loud, resounding BOOM filled the air. The group ran to the source to find a blonde man with Akatsuki garb.

"Hello. Let's fight!" The man wasted no time in attacking the group. Shizune leaped back at the last second and sustained a small head injury.

Kakashi rushed up beside her and grabbed her waist. He cradled her against him and lightly said, " Look out. I don't want you to get hurt." The look in his eyes was severe...yet in a way...forgiving. He'd protect her no matter what. "NARUTO!!! LOOK OUT! HE'S GONNA-"

_CRASH!!!_

Naruto was suddenly surrounded by little...clay/bug/bird...type things. They'd explode on contact. Being angry already, the blonde demon container cursed before letting his rage take over. His normally cerulean blue eyes were glazed over with a blood-red tint. His unusually sharp bicuspids sharpened into fangs that protruded from his lips hungrily. And the fine whiskers in his cheeks thickened. After the transformation, Naruto was a sight to behold. He reached up and in a swift move of his arm, took down the trees that the Akatsuki member had been standing upon. **"C'MON!!!!!!!! I'LL KILL YOU HERE AND NOW!!!!!!"**

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Me: Sorry if that was a teeny bit too short...but I've got a small case of writers' block. Oh, and...HAHA! I stuck you with a cliffie! I stuck you with a cliffie!

Hinata: So...when do I come into this?

Me: I'd say...about the next chapter.

Hinata: Good.

Me: Nande?

Hinata: Just kinda wondering. I wanna hook up with Naruto-kun as soon as possible.

Me: OK! Bye, everyone! And thanks for the comment, nicoli.xoxo.macaroni! You gave me my first review! I was so happy! I'm so glad that you like my story! I'll update again as soon as I can!! Oh, and please review!!!


	4. She's Mine

Me: OK, time for chapter 4. Thanks for the reviews, people! Those that DID review anyway...--

Sakura: Need a disclaimer?

Me: Yes, thanks, Sakura-chan! Say...Isn't it awfully close to your birthday?

Sakura: Yeah, it's gettin' pretty close...

Me: Yay! Happy early birthday to Sakura-chan!

Sakura: Thanks! In honor of my birthday, please review! I want this story to move along!

Me: Yeah, me too!

Sakura: So...can I help set Hinata and Naruto up?

Me: Of course! (goes off to plan)

Sakura: Before I leave, ANBUShizuka doesn't own any of us! Byes!!

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"I'd like to see you try," said the blonde man, "I only came here to observe your powers, not die. I guess I'll go. My name is Deidara, by the way!"

**"COME BACK HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"** shouted the demon-cloaked Naruto. He suddenly felt a sharp pain in his neck and collapsed into darkness.

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"N-Naruto-kun...y-y-you're OK..." Hinata stammered. Naruto had just woken up. His eyes were still bleary from the hit at his pressure point.

"Huh...? Hina-chan...?" Naruto questioned staggeringly. '_When...when did she become SO beautiful...? She's so much prettier than Sakura-chan..._'

'_Hina-chan...? Oh...Kami-sama...does he love me back?'_ Hinata thought frantically. She turned to leave but a strong grip caught her wrist.

"Hina-chan...c'mere..." Naruto commanded softly.

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"Oi, Sakura-chan, Ino-san...is it working?" Shizune asked as she came up behind the girls. She peeked into the room and saw Naruto holding Hinata's wrist.

"Just wait...wait...there! He did it!" Ino whispered excitedly.

"Yes!" Sakura cheered quietly.

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"N-naruto-kun..." Hinata whispered as Naruto's lips closed over hers. The kiss was tender, soft, a thing that made you believe you were dreaming. Pulling back, Hinata gazed at the boy- no- the man that she loved.

"Hina-chan...will you...um...y'know..."

"Yes. A thousand times over, yes!" Hinata smiled as she kissed Naruto.

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"Shizune...what's going on...?" asked the Hokage as she walked up to the three medic nin.

Shizune, Sakura, and Ino turned in surprise until Sakura said, "He finally did it. He asked her."

"Whaddya mean 'he asked her' ?" Tsuande almost shouted.

"Naruto finally asked Hinata out!" Ino exclaimed.

"What're you guys doin' ?" Naruto asked with a raised brow. He walked past calmly and looped his arm around Hinata's waist. The couple stalked out of the building and into the street. And, unfortunately, the first person to see them was Hiashi. Hinata's father saw the young couple and rage filled his eyes.

"UNHAND MY DAUGHTER, DEMON!!!" he screamed in a furious tone. He ran at Naruto, chakra filling his hand as he attempted to use the 8 trigrams jutsu. Naruto dodged and pushed Hinata out of the way. He glared at Hiashi and rushed against him. His shoulder caught the older man in the stomach, causing him to fly back in a rush of pain. "GRAAAAAAAGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"She's my girlfriend now, and I hope that later on in our lives, I can take her as my mate. I want to marry her."

"ABSURD!!! IT'LL NEVER HAPPEN!!!!!" screeched the livid man. His Byakugan was active and he glared at the young man furiously.

Naruto stepped back, and made a cross seal with his hands. "KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!!!" A clone appeared beside Naruto. Holding out his right hand, Naruto waited as the clone concentrated his chakra. "RASENGAN!!!!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" cried Hiashi. The ball of chakra had caught him right in the gut. He flew back hundreds of yards and then fell limp. Naruto strut over and picked him up as if he weighed nothing.

"Oi, Tsunade baa-chan. Hiashi needs help."

"NARUTO, WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?!"

"He attacked me and Hinata and so I retaliated. Simple as that."

"Naruto...what're we gonna do with you..."

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Me: Sorry for the wait. Wow, these chapters aren't very long, are they? Anyways, please review!


	5. No way!

Me: Sorry. Its been...hectic...to say the least. No one is voting on the questions I posed in Jiraiya, I said NO! I'm so sad... ): It is SO depressing! Oh well. And before I start this chapter, nicoli, you deserve a ninja monkey. I wish I could give you one. Anyways, Tsunade-sama, would you mind givin' the disclaimer?

Tsunade: Sure. That other story of yours is AU, right?

Me: Yeah...why?

Tsunade: No reason. I like it! BTW, Joey doesn't own any of us. And...we're starting a "Naruto knocked some sense into us" club.

Me: And the other members are?

Tsunade: Neji, Gaara...we're trying to get Sasuke to stop being emo and join...there are a few others...I think Tazuna is there too...

Me: OK, OK, I get it. Enjoy the story!

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"I heard the kid finally asked out that girl he liked. So. Is it true?"

"True as the papers on my desk are boring. I hate this..." Tsunade told Jiraiya. His spiky white hair seemed to sag a tiny bit as he gave her a 'then why the HELL are you Hokage?' look. She sighed and said, "I know, I know...what am I supposed to do about it?! I get bored easily..."

"Wanna play hooky?"

"Say WHA?!"

"I said, 'Wanna play hooky?' or are are you deaf? I was gonna go get a few drinks anyway..."

"Cool. It's a date. Pick me up in half an hour. 'Kay?"

Jiraiya stood there, dumbstruck before clarifying, "A d-date? You're sure?"

Tsunade looked back at him with a warm smile before saying, "Yes, I'm perfectly sure, _baka-kun_." She used her childhood pet name for him. He pretended back then that he hated it...

**::FLASHBACK:: "Baka-kun! Baka-kun! Wait, dammit!" called the blonde girl. Her long hair flowed freely, not being pulled back in a ponytail like normal.**

**He turned and looked at her agitatedly, "DON'T CALL ME THAT! YOU'RE ALMOST AS BAD AS OROCHIMARU-TEME!!!!" He huffed away as he ran towards the village. He looked back to see the girl walking with her head down. Kind of like...she was ashamed. "Oi, hime...I was only kiddin' with ya..."**

**"I'm only kiddin' with you too, baka-kun! TAG! YOOOOOUUUUU'RRRRRRRREEEEE IIIIIIIITTT!!!!!!!!!" giggled Tsunade as she sprinted to the gates. The snowy haired boy followed closely. A grin was plastered on his face. ::END FLASHBACK::**

"Good times, ne?" Jiraiya laughed. The blonde woman shook her head and smiled. His mountainous body, powerful yet full of grace, moved towards the window.

"Can't you use a door like a NORMAL person?"

"Ah, but I'm Jiraiya. I'm NOT a normal person."

'_And I wouldn't have it any other way'_ thought Tsunade.

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"Shishou? Are you busy?"

"Yes, Sakura-chan. I am rather busy. I have to get ready..."

"Get ready for what?!" Sakura exclaimed. Her pink brows were raised in interest.

"My date with Jiraiya, of course. Could you...help me decide what to wear?"

"Sure!"

Ten minutes later...

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely! You look awesome, Shishou!"

"Thanks, Sakura-chan. You know...if I ever had a daughter...I'd have wanted her to act like you."

"I act just like you," Sakura smiled as her shishou stuck out her tongue and turned away. Hands on her hips, Tsunade still looked every bit Hokage with only the halter dress on as when she had her normal clothes on.

"Thanks. NOT," Tsunade pouted. "Ah. Time to go. He should be here any minute. Ja Ne, Sakura-chan!"

"Ja Ne, Shishou!"

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The pair of Sannin walked to a club that was relatively new. Loud, techno dance music filled the empty space that was left open by the several couples. The dance floor was almost full, but Tsunade and Jiraiya somehow managed to weave through the massive crowd. A few shots of sake had them feeling good with the alcohol's boost in courage. "So, Jiraiya-kun, you wanna dance?"

"Sure, why not?" Jiraiya said, taking Tsunade's hand and guiding her to the dance floor. The music, full of smooth beats and melodies, drew the two together. They barely had a quarter of an inch of space between them. Tsunade turned and pressed back against Jiraiya. He groned and the pair danced like that for a while. Finally, not being able to stand much more, Jiraiya whispered into Tsunade's ear, "Let's go dance even closer. _Somewhere other than this..._"

"Let's get to my place. C'mon..."

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"Tsunade-sama's been gone for a while now, hasn't she?" Shizune asked. Her worried gaze fell to the empty chair behind Tsunade's desk. A calming aura came up behind her and she turned to find that her nose was nearly touching Kakashi's. "AH!"

"Sorry for startling you, Shizune-chan. I just came to see if...you'd like to hang out sometime?" Kakashi smiled easily. To Shizune's great surprise, and delight, Kakashi pulled down his mask and kissed the raven haired medic nin fiercely. She sank into the kiss after his tongue darted into her mouth.

"But...Kakashi-kun..." Shizune panted. She struggled for air as he nipped at her neck longingly.

"Nani?"

"Nothin' at all. Let's go dance or something..." Shizune grinned. She tugged at his hand and led Kakashi away from the Hokage's office.

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"Oi, Forehead girl! When are you gonna get a boyfriend? I heard that Lee is still available..." Ino teased the pink haired kunoichi.

"Ino-pig, just shut up. You annoy the hell outta me when you talk about that stuff..."

"A little sensitive about that subject...aren't you, _Sakura-chan_...?" asked a cool voice. When Sakura spun around to look at who it was...she gasped at the man's identity.

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Me: Evil, again! Cliffie! Sorry... . I really didn't mean for it to stop like that but...I had to make dinner. Byes! Review please!!!!


	6. Sasuke and the Beast

Me: Time for chappie number 6! Whee! I don't have much to say except that I hope you like this!

TenTen: Uh...What about a disclaimer?

Me: Oh yeah. I've been forgetting, huh...? Would you-?

TenTen: Sure. Joey doesn't own any of us. We all belong to Kishimoto-teme!

Me: I'm so happy you see it my way...sniffle

TenTen: Well, what am I supposed to think! He kills Jiraiya and he's thinkin' about killing Tsunade-sama!

Tsunade: NANI!

Me: Oh, shit.

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"Well, Sakura-_chan_...long time no see." Sasuke jumped down from his spot on the roof. He landed right in front of her. Instinctively, Sakura took a defensive position. Fists up, and ready to brawl. "Cute, very cute. But I'm not here to fight. Simply here to inform everyone that I killed Orochimaru."

"You...did what?" Sakura asked. Ino stood behind her, grasping Shikamaru's vest. He cradled her to him protectively.

"I said that I killed him. I killed Orochimaru." Sasuke turned his head enough to see Ino and Shikamaru. "Oh, thank Kami-sama. You're not one of my fangirls anymore. And what about you, Sakura? Are you still one of them?"

"No. I'm not. But you should probably come with me. The ANBU will want a statement from you. So will the police," Sakura replied. 

"It's a good thing that you're not one of Sasuke-kun's fangirls anymore. Or else...I'd have to kill you!" shouted a rude, feminine voice. A girl, about Sakura's age and height stood beside Sasuke. She grinned. Her glasses lifting slightly with the movement of her cheeks. Her red hair, similar to Sasuke's and Sakura's, went to her mid-section.

"Who the hell are you?" Sakura interrogated. She clenched her fists tightly. Now, she could boss them around...and have the power to back it up. Her jade eyes glittered dangerously as the girl circled her. "What are you doing?"

"Inspecting you," replied the girl. She was blunt, cynical, and rude. After her so-called 'inspection' of Sakura, she turned to Sasuke. "THIS is what you bragged about? That's pathetic!"

"Shut up, Karin!" Sasuke advanced towards her. His dark eyes held a murderous stare.

"Oh, Sasuke-kun! You're so SEXY when you're angry! I might have to ravish you in your sleep tonight!" Karin said lovingly. She grinned.

Sasuke turned back to Sakura and rolled his eyes at the previous spectacle. He mouthed the words, 'Hideous beast' to Sakura about Karin, assumably. The pink-haired kunoichi giggled but soon stifled it. Karin glared at her and walked off. "That's what I've had to deal with. The others aren't as bad...but her...yeesh!" Sasuke groaned as he shook his head.

"So...will you come quietly or not?" Sakura asked. She was surprised when Sasuke walked forward quietly, nodded with his head bowed, and took her hand.

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Kakashi woke to the smell of coffee, eggs and vanilla. He walked into the kitchen to see Shizune making his favorite snack. That's sweet, anyway. It was..."Donuts!" Kakashi exclaimed. Shizune turned and smiled at Kakashi. He walked up behind her and grabbed her waist. "Why didn't I ask you before?"

"Hm? Ask me what?"

"To go out with me. I had forgotten how well you cooked..."

Shizune smirked, saying, "You can thank my uncle. He taught me everything he knew before he died." Then she slid from his embrace and put the now glazed donuts on a plate. "Eat up. I have a feeling something big just happened."

"Funny...I get that feeling too..."

"Oi! Shizune! OPEN UP! ASUMA JUST WOKE UP! AND...SASUKE-TEME'S BACK!" shouted the voice of Naruto. Shizune and Kakashi looked at each other and sighed. It was going to be a long, _long_ day.

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Tsunade sat in her chair, hands folded, her chin resting against them. She gazed at the two shinobi in front of her. One being her own second apprentice, Sakura. The other was Orochimaru's former ward, Sasuke. "So...you killed Orochimaru-teme..."

"Yup. Do I have to serve some jail time or what? I already killed Itachi..." Sasuke shrugged. Any amount of jail time was OK. As long as Sakura came to visit him.

Tsunade looked up sharply. She stared at him for a few moments before stating slowly, "You...killed Itachi, also? Wow. You were busy..." Then she frowned; if only, slightly. "Yes...You'll have to do jail time. The fact that you killed two S-rank criminals, however...lightens your time."

Sakura smiled softly. "Do you want me to visit you?"

"If you wouldn't mind. Karin seems to show an aversion to you and I don't want to be stuck talking to that baboon all day, now do I?"

Sakura giggled and asked, "Shishou...I will be allowed to visit him, right?" Tsunade nodded. "I'll escort him. He's been extremely cooperative. And if he does try to escape," Sakura added as she flexed her muscles, "I can handle it!" The young medic grinned.

Tsunade grinned back and replied, "I know you can!"

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"Hina-chan! Hina-chan! Sasuke-teme's back! Can you believe it? I'm so excited! Now, I can have a proper rematch with him!" an excited Naruto shouted. His girlfriend looked up at him and smiled softly. She hugged him and blushed a little as he kissed her forehead.

"I'm happy for you, Naruto-kun. You finally have your teammate back..." Hinata said softly. Her feathery voice touched Naruto's soul and made him grin.

**'Hey, Kit. Been a few days...'**

_'What do you want, Kitsu?'_

**'What'd you just call me?'**

_'I called you Kitsu. I'm not afraid of you and you're not as bad as some people think.'_

**'You're nice and all, Kit...but I'm still a demon...'**

_'So? Now, tell me about this merging thing. How does it work?'_

**'I'll tell you later, Kit. Spend time with your girlfriend. But before I go...are you gonna mate with her?'**

_'Wha-whaddya mean 'mate with her'? I don't-'_

**'Oh, c'mon, Kit. MATE.'**

_'Oh...not yet!'_

**'Fine. But don't wait too long...'**

"Naruto-kun, what's wrong? You're face is red..." Hinata commented.

Naruto turned his face, covering it with one hand, while saying, "It's nothing, Hina-chan. Don't worry."

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Me: HAHA! Poor Naruto! Oh well...I'm so evil! Review! Please! (puppydog eyes) And I have sapphire blue eyes, dammit, I'm cute! Review!


	7. He's not wearing the MASK!

Me: I wanted to update this one sooner but...y'know the drill. Band gets in the way of everything. It royally sucks. Oh well. In this chapter...I dunno. Read and find out.

--

Jiraiya sat in Asuma's room. Kurenai had already shown up and was hugging her boyfriend tenderly. She was sobbing softly and in between winces, Asuma would whisper comforting words into her ear. At that moment, Tsunade walked in. Following closely behind her were Asuma's team, Naruto, Hinata, Shizune, and Kakashi. He chuckled to himself at the sight of Kakashi's hand lightly entwined with Shizune's. _'That's definately a new development. Heh...'_

"Hm...Kakashi. It seems...the lone dog finally settled down," Asuma chuckled. Kakashi grinned and nuzzled Shizune's cheek in a tender manner. "Wait...something's different..."

"OH, HOLY KAMI-SAMA!! KAKASHI-SENSEI ISN'T WEARING A MASK!!" Naruto shouted. He looked like he was about to go into anifilactic shock. Hinata and everyone else in the room, besides Tsunade and Jiraiya, followed suit. Naruto was supported by Hinata, who can thankfully keep her cool for the most part. Shikamaru and Ino were supporting each other while Chouji...Chouji just passed out.

"Heheheh...you guys..." Kakashi smiled. He had an aristocratic profile. His nose wasn't too long, his eyes were set apart evenly, and his mouth was just perfect. His silver hair was still swept across his face and a few loose strands fell across his eye. Shizune hugged him and looked over her shoulder to see her sensei flirting with Jiraiya. At the tug on his sleeve, Kakashi turned to see Shizune pointing over her shoulder. He grinned even wider. '_Congrats, Jiraiya-sama. You did it.'_

"Well...we should probably get going. Sakura-chan, you need to go check on Sasuke-san. Karin might show up again..." Shizune said cooly. Her smirk grew as the young medic blushed and stalked out of the room. Gently leading Kakashi out of the room, Shizune walked hand in hand with him to Ichiraku's.

--

Me: Sorry to cut you off like that...serious case of writers' block. (sweatdrop) I'll update again when I have another idea...sorry again. Review. Please?


	8. Hittin' it off

Me: Sweet! I finally updated on this!! I'm so excited!

Shikamaru: Took ya long enough, troublesome woman...

Me: Shika! Do you want me to get Ino in here?

Shikamaru: No. I don't need her troubling me...

Ino: Shika-kun...that's mean!!

Shikamaru: WAIT!! INO-CHAN!!

Me: I don't own Naruto or any other affiliated characters...

--

Naruto looked on, quite stunned. Shizune nee-chan and Kakashi-sensei...were..._kissing_. "GROSS! GET A ROOM, YOU TWO!!" Naruto shouted in mock disgust.

Kakashi looked back over his shoulder to see who had yelled. Shizune was sitting next to him and giggled lightly. Finally, the silver haired copy ninja replied, "Gladly. Let's go, Shizune." He grabbed her hand and pretended to pull her along.

"Kakashi-kun, that's inappropriate."

"Most everything can be made to seem that way."

"Oh, dear Kami-sama..."

Kakashi gave her a light peck on the lips before asking, "Wanna go see-"

"KAKASHI!! MY ETERNAL RIVAL!! I HAVE HEARD THAT YOU FOUND LOVE TO GUIDE YOUR SAD SPIRIT!!" yelled an extremely loud voice. Everyone who was present at that particular moment, meaning Naruto and Hinata, Kakashi and Shizune, and Kiba all turned to stare grudgingly at Maito Gai. Kiba rolled his eyes as the bushy browed man stepped forward. "SAY, KAKASHI!! WANNA-"

"Just shut up, Gai..." Kakashi mumbled.

"BUT-" Gai never finished his sentence. Instead, he flew back several hundred feet. Everyone turned to stare at Shizune.

"Nani? He was annoying my boyfriend," she stated simply. Kakashi grinned at her and pulled her into another kiss.

"Way to go, Kakashi..." Iruka said dully. He had come upon the group shortly after Shizune had hit Gai. "You've finally got yourself a decent girlfriend..."

"Aw, quiet. Shizune is absolutely wonderful. And I know where you can get a good girlfriend..." Kakashi smirked. He had stopped wearing the mask almost altogether. Nowadays, he only wore it on missions.

"Yeah? Where? The girl I want to be with is with somebody else..."

"You mean Anko and Ibiki? They broke up last night. You can go out with her now..." Kakashi returned to eating his ramen. It was hot and he burned his mouth. In turn, he asked, "Oi, Shizune? D'ya think you could heal this?" He stuck out his tongue and pointed at it.

She gave him a blank look then smirked. Her reply was, "That's what she said..." He looked back with a shocked gaze. Then he smiled and pressed his mouth to hers. He delved his tongue into her mouth and groaned when a rush of chakra flowed over his tongue and soothed it.

"Oi, get a room. We don't need you having sex in public. That'd be disturbing and plus...we don't want Tsunade-sama to rip off Kakashi's...well...you know." Anko had walked up behind them. She grinned and then turned to Iruka. She glared at him and said, "We gotta talk. I heard about the person who apparently pranked me. I heard that it was you..."

"It was..."

"Let's go...interrogation time!" Anko shouted excitedly as she dragged Iruka away.

"I feel sorry for poor Iruka-sensei..." Kiba muttered. Suddenly, he fell backwards. And into something soft. "S-sorry...Ay-Ayame..."

"Not a problem, Kiba-kun..." stuttered the girl. She glanced down and blushed.

"I smell romance..." Kakashi mumbled into Shizune's ear. She giggled again.

--

"So. Sakura-chan. What's been going on her since I left?" Sasuke asked. He sat patiently, waiting for an answer. The jade eyed medic thought and thought. "Well? Did anyone get stronger?"

"Neji's a jounin...TenTen isn't far behind him on that...Lee...well, it's Lee. And-"

"I get it. I get it. Everyone has gotten a lot stronger...what about Naruto? Do you think...he'd be up to a rematch? I want to fight him fair and square. No curse mark. No Kyuubi. Just me versus him," Sasuke explained. He turned to look out the small hole in the wall.

"Sasuke-kun..." Sakura said softly. She lightly touched his shoulder through the bars of the cell. He looked back at her, a soft gaze that made her feel warm again.

"Just Sasuke, all right? Sakura?" Sasuke asked with raised eyebrows. A gentle smile danced across his lips when the both suddenly heard clanking. Naruto and Hinata walked in. Naruto gave Sasuke a warm smile and was surprised to get one in return.

"Welcome back, nii-kun," Naruto greeted. He held out his hand and gave Sasuke a tight gripped handshake. Sasuke returned the greeting with a small nod. Naruto sat down and pulled Hinata into his lap. He pecked her on the cheek and smiled when she returned the favor. "Well...how were things with the child molester...?"

Sasuke gave a low laugh and replied, "Well...I managed to keep him from raping me. But I have to keep Sakura here to keep Karin from- oh, Sakura, why don't you say it? I found that Sakura is quite good at imitating Karin."

Sakura grinned and stood up. She changed her expression to look maniacal and stupid. She finally spoke in a falsetto voice, "Oh, Sasuke-kun! You're _so_ sexy when you're angry! I might have to ravish you in your sleep!!"

The group of teens started laughing. They took no notice of the red haired girl in the shadows.

--

Tsunade sat upon the open roof of Hokage Manor. She looked out over the village and sighed, "Wow...things are really turning around..."

After sensing a familiar presence behind her, Tsunade grinned. Her companion sat down on the edge next to her. It was Jiraiya. "Yep. Things really are turnin' around here, huh?" He leaned over and brushed a few strands of hair out of her face. Then he kissed her cheek lightly.

Tsunade smiled and cuddled up against Jiraiya's large, muscular chest. She sighed and said, "I hope...that the war we might have...won't be terrible."

In an attempt to reassure the small woman, Jiraiya brought her astride his lap and nuzzled her jaw with his mouth. "You shouldn't have to worry now. Orochimaru-teme is dead..."

The blonde woman gave a heaving sigh and smiled gently at the large man. She kissed him long and tenderly. Then she spoke solemnly, "But what about Kabuto..."

--

Me: Sorry to leave all of you hanging like that but...that was all I could come up with for right now. So here's a quick recap: Sasuke actually has a sense of humor, Kakashi and Shizune are adorable together, Anko and Iruka might get together, and Kiba is falling for Ayame. And Tsunade is worried about Kabuto trying to start a war. What'll happen next time? You'll just have to wait and read to find out!


	9. Here We Go

Me: Here we go. 'Nother chapter...

Naruto: OK. So in the rematch against nii-kun. I'm gonna win, right?

Sasuke: No, dobe, you're gonna lose.

Naruto: HEY!! I call you nii-kun. But you still call me dobe.

Sasuke: Sorry, force of habit, nii-kun.

Me: (rolls eyes) Boys...anyway. Still don't own Naruto. Unfortunately...

--

Rain pattered against the little shack. A girl stood in front of a man with long, silvery hair. She said, "Shishou, how're we gonna win? Sasuke-kun went back to the village and all of those losers have gotten stronger..."

"I'll tell you...what to do..." wheezed the man. He looked up, dark eyes gleaming. His shaking hands grasped the arms of the chair. The DNA of his former master was pulsing, taking over him. '_Damn you...Orochimaru-sama..._'

"But-"

"No, Karin...we'll attack. On schedule. Go tell the others. Or else, I, Kabuto, favorite of Orochimaru, will make you pay _dearly_..."

--

"Well, nii-kun. Decided to grace the outside world with your presence?" Naruto teased the Uchiha. Said boy glared back and turned away. Sakura came up behind him and poked Sasuke to make him smile.

"Well...Naruto-kun. Do you wanna go eat?" Hinata asked. Her and Naruto had been going out for three weeks. And they were barely ever apart. He always held her hand and did all the gentlemanly things possible.

"Sure. Hopefully Kiba won't make such a scene this time. Him and Ayame just need to confess already..."

Sakura grinned and said, "You mean like Shizune-chan and Kaka-sensei?"

"Yes- uh, NO!! Not like _that..._!!" he blushed. Even though he'd gotten perverted over the years with Jiraiya, Naruto still tried to keep himself proper around Hinata. It wasn't going so well. Then, Naruto noticed something new. His eyes got wide and his mouth gaped open. Stammering, he shouted, "Ero-Sannin...and B-BAA-CHAN?! Y-YOU'RE GOING OUT?!"

Jiraiya gave him a broad smile and said, "Yep. Have been since you asked Hinata out."

Naruto promptly passed out. Hinata smiled warmly and said, "Sorry. I'll get him home so he can rest..."

Jiraiya opened his mouth to say something perverted and then, Tsunade's hand clamped over his mouth. She smirked and replied, "Thank you, Hinata-san. I appreciate it."

With that being said, the small group of couples dispersed.

--

"Nara Shikamaru...when will you ever learn?" asked his father. His face, covered in hard lines and scars softened at his son's bludgered exterior. Inoichi had found out that Shikamaru and Ino had been going out. And he hadn't been consulted.

"Perhaps when Inoichi eases up on Ino. He works her too hard. Sure, he loves her and wants the best for her...but...so do I," stated the brunette teen. He glared at his father and yelped when the salve stung his wounded face. Inoichi had slapped him pretty hard...

"Shika-kun! You're all right!" Ino shouted. She had tears running down her face and she jumped into his arms. He calmed her and rubbed her back softly. Suddenly, she pulled away and whispered, "You...never had any interest in...Temari, did you?"

Shikamaru gave her a soft look and shook his head. They walked up to the roof of his house and sat back to watch the sunset.

--

"All right, nii-kun. Let's fight."

"It'd be an honor, nii-kun," Sasuke replied to Naruto's challenge. He shifted into a fighting stance and charged.

--

Me: Haha. Cliffie! Don't kill me!! I gotta plan their fight and then type it. I haven't planned out all the moves yet, but it's gonna be cool. Or it would be if it were illustrated or animated...REVIEW!! I need suggestions on how the fight should turn out. I'm sorry it's so short!! I got a small case of writer's block again... T.T


	10. Rematch!

Me: OK, people. Here's the run down. My other computer crashed, erasing all my data and the chapters I had ready to post. Give me some time and I'll have the newest chapters up soon.

--

Naruto and Sasuke glared at each other. A smile running across Sasuke's face, he said, "I'm honored to battle you, aniki-kun. Let's GO!" He charged, pulled his blade at the last possible second, and slashed. Naruto grinned...and disappeared in a puff of smoke. "SUBSTITUTION?!" Hinata sighed her relief as her boyfriend continued his battle with Sasuke. Sakura patted her back and smiled reassuringly.

"Yeah, buddy!" Naruto cheered. He jumped down and threw a few kunai at Sasuke. The other boy dodged easily and jumped up to kick at Naruto furiously. It was an even fight. No handicaps, no enhancements of physical strength. "C'mon, Sasuke!" He placed his hands in a classic series of handsigns. "KUCHIYOSE NO JUTSU!"

Sasuke did the same. "KUCHIYOSE NO JUTSU!!" Manda appeared for Sasuke, while a toad that was slightly smaller than Gamabunta appeared. "Wha-"

"GAMAKICHI! LET'S DO THIS!!" Gamakichi sprung forward and pushed back at Manda, who had tried to attack without Sasuke's consent.

"YOU DAMN SNAKE! I'M YOUR MASTER NOW! YOU DON'T ATTACK UNLESS I SAY! I'M NOT LIKE OROCHIMARU WHO TURNS AGAINST HIS TEAMMATES WHILE IN THE MIDDLE OF A REMATCH!" Sasuke was livid. At this point, he decided Manda was useless and sent him back. "Naruto! Let's finish this like we should have!!"

"Right!" Naruto released Gamakichi and then fell towards the earth. The entire time he was plummeting, he focused his chakra. He built the chakra in his hand to massive proportions. Then he concentrated it and thrust his hand forward. "RASENGAN!!"

"CHIDORI!!" Sasuke yelled his attack. The two met and sent each other flying away. Naruto skidded into a boulder but supported himself. Sasuke simply flew into a tree. He fell out and landed on his side. "Argh!"

"Sasuke! Are you all right?!" Sakura exclaimed. She rushed to his side and began healing him. Sasuke had extensive injuries to his abdomen. He hissed in pain as Sakura ran her hands over him to assess the damage. "It doesn't look too terrible. Nothing I can't handle."

"Nii-kun...you're strong..." Naruto huffed as he got to Sasuke's side. Hinata was supporting him.

"Yeah...but...you're finally stronger, Aniki-kun..." Sasuke replied. He smiled and let Sakura heal his wounds.

"OI! YOU FOUR!! HOKAGE-SAMA NEEDS YOU!!" shouted Kotetsu. He stalked off, his job done for the moment.

--

Jiraiya leaned against a tree, looking at the sky. _'How much more...how much more do we need to endure...?'_he thought sadly. The damned assistant Orochimaru had taken on, Kabuto, had sent a treaty. _'It HAS to be a ruse...he must be planning something...I just know it...'_

--

"Shishou? We're here. What do you need us for?" Sakura asked as she entered the room, hand clutching Sasuke's tightly. Her shishou was looking down, her hazel eyes covered by her blonde hair. "Uh..."

"I have a mission for the four of you...I need you to gather information."

Sasuke snickered, "That's easy. Just tell when and where and we'll do it." He was back to his old self. His smirk was his normal trademark but had eased up a bit. Sakura was to thank for that...Naruto rolled his eyes and held Hinata's waist lightly. He was always worried for her.

"I need you to gather information on...Otogakure." Tsunade looked at Sasuke as she said this. He shook his head to say he wouldn't betray the village. Then she explained the situation. "So, you think you can take it?"

"No problem. I won't betray the village again. In truth, I missed this village so much..." Sasuke whispered.

Tsunade smiled and put her hand on his shoulder. She said, "Just don't hurt Sakura or Naruto again or else I'll have to kill you, OK?"

'_She is so freaking scary when she does that...'_Sasuke thought.

--

Sleep had nearly closed in on Jiraiya when he felt a small figure creep up next to him. "Cute, hime. Very cute. Trying to spook me?"

"No, nande?" Tsunade replied as she collapsed next to Jiraiya. She had a small smile on her face.

"You seem happy. Find a new boyfriend?" Jiraiya grimaced. Then he sat up and asked something off topic, "Isn't that..uh..."

"That's Temari, the Kazekage's nee-chan...Oh...she's with the Akimichi boy. Chouji."

Jiraiya started laughing and then sighed, "Well, that's a bit odd but weirder things have happened!" Tsunade shook her head and laid next to the white haired man again. He slid one arm around her and glared at the approaching clouds. "Have you...been feeling weird lately?"

"A little...say...Jiraiya?" Tsunade stated wearily. The rain had always bothered her. After Nawaki' death and Dan's, it was only magnified. Now, she was terrified to sleep alone when it rained.

"Yeah? Somethin' wrong, Tsunade?" Jiraiya asked.

"Could I...stay with you tonight?" she replied. Her hesitance leaked into her voice and Jiraiya sat up again to cradle her tenderly to his chest. All he did was nod. "Thank you..."

--

"Hinata...do you...are you afraid of me? I mean, because of the Kyuubi..." Naruto questioned the Hyuga girl. He was sitting on his bed and waited for Hinata to say if she was going home or over to Sakura's.

"No...not really. The Kyuubi scares me...but not you, Naruto-kun. You're too kind to fear. At least...to the people you care for, you're kind. You'll be a great Hokage one day."

"And you'll make a beautiful bride someday. I will marry you, y'know," Naruto claimed.

"The future is still a long way off, Naruto-kun..." Hinata stated. _'But I really hope he's right...'_

Suddenly, thunder crashed and rain dumped into the streets. Naruto rushed to his window and sighed, "Well...I guess...you'll have to stay here. But that's OK! I promise, I won't try anything that you aren't willing to do, Hinata!"

"OK..."

"You can sleep on the bed. I'll-"

"You can sleep beside me. Like...holding me..."

Naruto blushed. His cerulean eyes got wide and he gulped. It was gonna be a long night..."A-all right..."

--

"Damn! Raining again..." Sakura cursed. She rolled her eyes and marched back to her bed. She looked at her cell phone. "Hunh. One new message..."

--hey Saku. sup?--

--Ino-pig...wat r u up 2?--

--nothin. can i come over?--

--in THIS weather?!--

--I CAN teleport, u kno--

--oh yeah...sure!--

Ino appeared in a puff of smoke. She flipped her blonde hair and smirked, "So, how're things with the emo child...?"

Sakura gave her and unamused look and replied, "Just fine. And what about that bum you call a boyfriend?" The pink haired girl smirked at her dig and Ino just grimaced. "C'mon, Ino! I'm just teasing. So, really. What's up?"

"My dad hit Shikamaru because he didn't come ask to take me out. I'm so angry with Daddy..."

"Well...have you told your father that?"

"...no."

Sighing, Sakura explained, "That's your problem. You all need to talk it over."

--

Me: All righty then...not how I had planned. It's really scattered, actually. The first part makes mild sense to me and then...bleh. I dunno. But I'm feeling lazy right now.


	11. What the HELL?

Me: Um...not much I can say, other than the norm. I don't own Naruto and I just adopted a new pet!! Her name is Tomi and she's only a tiny thing right now but...wait. I don't think she's gonna get very big. She's the runt...oh, did I mention that Tomi is a pig? (Which is odd, considering that I have blonde hair and I can pass off as a blue-eyed, young and small Tsunade. My brother pointed all that out and I knocked him across the room. I barely even punched him! I swear!!)

--

Sakura stretched out, looking at her friend who, at the moment, was hogging all the blankets. "Ino-pig, you gotta share! I'm kinda cold, y'know!"

"Nn...no! No wanna!"

"You talk like a little kid in the mornings." Sakura rolled her eyes and grabbed the blanket and pulled. Thankfully, it didn't rip and she covered up and fell back asleep until a visitor only an hour later. "Who-"

"Sakura, we need to get ready to leave for our mission." It was Sasuke. He looked over at Ino and snickered, "Well, well, well. It looks like someone is a cover hog."

Laughing, Sakura said, "Indeed she is. Ino, you really gotta get up. It's almost seven o'clock and I need to pack for my mission."

"Fine. But the second you get back, we're gonna need to discuss anything I find out." Ino got up, brushed her hair that had fallen out of its tight ponytail overnight, and gave Sasuke a bright smile. "Morning, Sasuke-san!"

"G'morning, Ino-chan," Sasuke said as he stepped into the room. He walked over to Sakura and gave her a small kiss. He whispered, "I'm gonna run and get some breakfast. Want anything?"

"Um...not really. But could you get me some coffee or..."

"How about a...caramel frappachino?"

"Add an extra shot of chocolate and you have a deal."

"Got it!" Sasuke smiled.(A/N: Yes, smiled. He seems a lot happier now that everything has been taken care of. No longer the uptight emo child we all wanted to huggle. Well...at least I did. He was SO adorable as a kid!) He ran out and left Ino standing there, dazed.

"You have him wrapped around your finger..." Ino stated. She looked over at Sakura and shook her head. '_The little girl I used to protect is gone...and I'm...proud. Good going, Sakura-chan. Ya got 'im.'_

"Hey, Ino? Remember the wager we had going? Y'know, which one of us would get Sasuke? I win," Sakura smirked. Of course, she was teasing. Ino tried to hit her and the girls simply laughed after a small sparring match that ended with Sakura needing to buy a new alarm clock, stereo, and phone.

"My bad!"

"So, are you gonna pay for it?"

"Nope."

--

Naruto cuddled against the warmth beside him. He groaned when he felt the figure move away. "No...don't go...I was just getting comfy..."

"Naruto, we...we really need to get ready. For our mission?" Hinata said patiently. She shook Naruto awake and tried to give him a soft kiss on the cheek. He turned his face at the last second and instead got a kiss on the lips. "N-n-naruto..."

"Back to stuttering? It's OK. I'm your boyfriend and I love you..." Naruto smiled. Despite being a pervert, he could be awfully sweet when Hinata became the topic of discussion.

"Please get ready. And pack a few spares of clothing. We don't know how long this will take. We just know that if we find out something urgent, we need to report back immediately," Hinata stated. She turned to see that Naruto was nowhere in the room. "Naruto?"

"Yeah? I'm gonna pack, don't worry. I just need to shower REALLY quick. You don't wanna travel with a smelly ninja, do you?"

"No, not particularly..."

--

Tsunade woke up to the sun in her eyes. It was another sunny, gorgeous day in Konoha. And she felt oddly energized. She looked around and remembered, "Oh yeah...I stayed with...JIRAIYA!! OH DEAR KAMI-SAMA, WHAT THE HELL HAS HAPPENED?!"

"Hm? Tsunade-hime, what's wro- Oh. Oh, wow. Hang on, I gotta see if I'm the same..." Jiraiya got up, letting the blankets fall away from his body.

'_I think that despite how muscular he is at fifty three...I like this too...' _Tsunade grinned to herself. She got up too and walked up behind Jiraiya, who was admiring his physique in the full mirror. "Well? What do you think?" She too admired herself. She had already tried jumping ages...and she couldn't. Jiraiya grabbed her thin waist and they looked at their youthful forms in the mirror. Jiraiya's body, full of lean, half-developed muscles, rippled as he strode to the closet. "ACK! What am I gonna wear?! My clothes don't fit anymore. At fifteen..I wasn't precisely _endowed_ as of yet." Tsunade scowled at the thought. Ah, the downsides of puberty...

"I know. You're still beautiful, though. Here!" Jiraiya handed her his old kimono. The gray one with the crimson flames on the bottom of the sleeves and body. The green lining brought out the red and made it all the more enjoyable. "Brings back memories, ne?" Jiraiya asked, pulling on a mesh shirt to go with his baggy, green pants. His kabuki sandals were the same. "Odd. My feet didn't grow anymore after I hit fifteen. I just now remembered that."

"Aw! This is my favorite one! Remember when Orochimaru pushed me into that river and my other clothes were ruined? And then I had to beg you to let me wear this? Oh, and it still smells like you did when we fifteen! Well...when you had washed up and put on cologne...admittedly..."

"You thought I was hot, didn't you?" Jiraiya questioned. His voice was raised in amusement as Tsunade blushed and turned away.

"Do you think we should try to figure out what happened? I mean...we can't stay like this forever..."

"What do you mean? You don't know how any of this happened?" Jiraiya sounded distressed.

"Not a clue. Do you think we could get Shizune to..."

"Perhaps. Pending that she isn't with Kakashi. You don't wanna KNOW what goes on then..."

"Oh, SHIT!! WHAT AM I GONNA DO ABOUT MY JOB?! I CAN'T WORK!! Hey, wait..." Tsunade got an evil grin on her face as she realized that this meant no paperwork.

"Tsunade." Jiraiya gave her a scolding look and she giggled.

"Let's go see if Shizune can help..." The two Sannin rushed off to Tsunade's office to see if Shizune was there yet. And of course, she was. Along with Sakura, Sasuke, Naruto, and Hinata.

"BAA-CHAN!! WHAT HAPPENED?!" Naruto exclaimed. He wasn't used to seeing Tsunade as a fifteen year old girl. Sakura nd Sasuke were speechless, while Hinata just stared. Quite frankly, this was all new to her.

"Wow, Hokage-sama, can you work like that?" Kakashi asked as he strolled up. He grabbed Shizune by the waist and nuzzled her neck with his mouth until she gave him a playful swat on the chest. He smiled and looked at Jiraiya. And the white haired Sannin still towered over everyone. "Damn, Jiraiya-sama. You're still taller..."

Jiraiya grinned, boyish as ever, and replied, "Can't help it, Kakashi. Oh, and I'll have to postpone my writing too...they won't accept erotic works from a teenage boy..."

"ERNT! WRONG ANSWER, ERO-SANNIN!" Naruto burst out. "They accepted mine. Of course I wrote it like you would've one of your pervy books...

"I told you you wrote like a child..." Tsunade teased.

"Oh, yeah?! Then why do you read 'em?!"

"SCREW YOU!!"

"GLADLY! WHEN AND WHERE?!"

"PERVERT!!"

"NO-"

"Jiraiya-sama, I advise stopping right there. C'mon...I'll see what I can do..." Shizune sighed wearily. This meant she'd be stuck doing all of Tsunade's paperwork..."And, Tsunade-sama...? You're going to be in there so we can both go over the paperwork. You're not getting off scot-free."

"Damn..."

--

TenTen stood on the roof of the academy. Neji was late and that simply was NOT like him. She looked around and finally saw him getting closer. "What took so long, Neji-kun?"

"Oh...just a little...drama at my house..."

"Meaning?"

"My arranged marriage finally fell through. Thankfully," Neji sighed. He pulled TenTen close and said, "Now...they accept that I want to be with you. Are you happy?"

"Like you can't imagine. Oi...what's that ruckus?"

"I dunno...sounds like it's coming from the Hokage's office..."

TenTen smiled and interrogated, "Wanna go check it out?"

"Fine..." Neji replied. "I was hoping we could have a moment of peace together but NO..." he sighed under his breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing, TenTen. Nothing."

"...I...I love you, Neji..."

"I love you too, TenTen..." the Hyuga replied softly. Then he thought and realized, "OI!! You didn't use..."

"I think I'm close enough to you that I don't have to."

"You don't. I was just...saying."

"OK. Oh...you are SO not gonna believe what happened..."

"What do you- WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO HOKAGE- SAMA AND JIRAIYA-SAMA?!"

--

Me: well...I had hoped it would be longer but...I"m tired. So I'm gonna call it quits until later. So...I'll update ASAP. Promise!


	12. Betrayed! Attack from within!

Me: Time for another update! I really wanna get this one done. I have other fics I need to work on that I've been neglecting...and I also need to get ready for my birthday. August 2, and I'm 16!!(Yes, I share a birthday with Tsunade-sama. Kooleo for me!) I'm SO excited! And so...I might or might not update a lot before then. I get really creative in a crunch so I can get outta doing stuff.

--

A red headed boy stood up and walked around to the other side of the room. It was going to be another long day..."Kazekage-sama! Urgent news from Konohagakure!"

"Proceed," he stated simply. He gazed at the jounin reporting to him. His cool, aqua colored eyes never changed as the man gave him a letter from Konoha. He sat back down and read. He sighed and called for Temari, Kankuro, Baki and his loyal subordinate, Matsuri.

Temari spoke first, asking, "What's wrong, Gaara? You seem worked up. Something wrong in the country or...?"

"The Hokage has been turned into a fifteen year old and has been dubbed unfit to rule at the moment. They don't know how it happened or if she'll continue to regress. But to avoid any...irrational decisions, they have temporarily removed Tsunade-sama from office. Jiraiya-sama has also been changed in that respect. Temari, I believe it might be in our best interests for you to return. You got back awfully fast yesterday. Only a day and a half to get here. Something wrong with you?" Gaara questioned. His tone, actually raised in curiosity, betrayed a look of calm and collectiveness.

"No...I just...uh...I'm gonna go pack!" With that, the blonde ran out of the room and back to her apartment.

Kankuro turned back to Gaara and snickered, "It might be because she's anxious to see her boyfriend again."

"Boyfriend? Nee-chan is dating someone? I wonder who..."

"It's Akimichi Chouji! Oh, crap! I wasn't supposed to say that. Sorry..." Matsuri exclaimed. She looked away from Gaara's searching eyes and blushed. He smiled softly and shook his head. The brunette giggled and said, "I'm gonna go and prepare the newest students for their training. See ya, Gaara-kun! I mean...Kazekage-sama!"

"Well...it looks like our nee-chan isn't the only one with a love prospect." Kankuro stepped outside and let Baki and Gaara talk.

"What about you, Baki? Should we try to help Konoha when we don't know as much about medicine?"

"No, but sending Temari is a wise choice. She is diplomatic and will help the substitute Hokage with foreign relations."

"Very well. Baki, you are dismissed."

--

Tsunade leaned back against the wall. '_A mission. A mission of all things. And with the four I had already assigned!! What is that bitch Koharu thinking? Wait...she's trying to kill me. I swear it...'_ The blonde girl shook her head wearily as the others slowly arrived. They had postponed leaving until today because of Tsunade and Jiraiya's...regression. "The kazekage is fifteen...why can't I stay?"

Sakura had walked up and replied, "Well, even at fifty three, you were quite reckless when you assigned missions and also when you fight. Everyone knows that from all the legends and sometimes from seeing you fight in real life. Koharu-sama and Homura-sama just want to protect the village."

"I can still run the village just fine...I won't be reckless..."

The pink haired girl stood there, looking incredulously at the blonde. "Shishou. Of course, you'd be reckless. Don't kill me!!" Sakura ran when Tsunade took a swing at her. Sasuke jumped in and seperated them.

"Sakura, no more teasing Tsunade-sama. Tsunade-sama, no more trying to hit Sakura. Got it? Good." That being said, the two didn't talk until Naruto and Hinata showed up with Jiraiya in tow. "Well, finally. Now we can get going..."

Tsunade walked beside Jiraiya. They led the small group and directly behind them were Sasuke and Sakura. Then, at the back, was Naruto and Hinata who get too caught up just talking about their future together. The blonde girl grabbed Jiraiya's hand and clasped it tightly. Her nerves were all over the place, seeing as she was completely out of her comfort zone as a teenager. "Jiraiya, I feel so weird. I mean...my emotions are just..."

"Outta whack?" Jiraiya finished. He smiled when she nodded and looked up at him sheepishly. "Don't worry. So are mine. It seems to be something that, as teens, we just gotta go through. You're a medic nin. You know what's goin' on in medical terms. But it's kinda odd...actually experiencin' it again, right?"

"Yeah...really odd..." she replied, her hazel colored eyes glancing at everything in sight. Her eyesight, still wonderful at her real age, was returned to its original of twenty fifteen. Her eyesight was slightly better than perfect. Everything seemed clearer...and the sky never seemed so bright.

And just when things were going so well..."Baa-chan...we're being followed."

"I know, Naruto. LOOK OUT!"

--

Kabuto laid back on the bed. Blood splayed everywhere. Now, more than ever, he could feel how badly his body was taking Orochimaru's take over. "DAMN IT!! ARGH!!" He screamed in pain and electrical shocks flew through his body. He was losing control...ever faster...

"You're no longer needed...Kabuto..." hissed a low voice. Instead of Kabuto's dark eyes, a pair of yellow globes, with slits for pupils, stared into the darkening abyss of the room. "I'm ba-a-ck!"

--

Neji nearly fell out of his chair. Koharu, the village elder, stood over him; her face was set in a scowl. "Y-you can't be serious..."

"Perfectly. Tsunade is too reckless. she'll kill us all. And so...I want you to dispose of the threat she poses..."

"You're asking me to ki-"

Koharu glared at him and stated, "Not kill. I am merely aksing you to get rid of a threat to the village's safety. She isn't fit to be Hokage as is."

"I won't do it."

"NANI?!"

"I said that I wouldn't do it."

"I want you to do one thing. I want you to get rid of Tsunade and-"

"So..." Koharu and Neji turned to see Shizune and Kakashi looming in the darkened corner. Shizune took a few steps forward and said, "you want to kill Tsunade-sama?"

"No! I'm only looking out for the village!"

"Killing the Hokage won't help," Kakashi sneered. He was upset at this point. Anyone who made his Shizune upset...had already sighned their death wish as far as he was concerned.

"Tsunade is just like a foster mother for you, isn't she, Shizune? A drunken, gambling-addicted, mother. Terrible...and you had to put up with her..."

"Tsunade-sama raised me as well as she could! She loved my uncle but he died! And I can't blame her for falling into a depression. And I agree that drinking and gambling were not the best outlets but...those were the quickest solutions she could come up with. I didn't start that kind of stuff because I knew that she'd need me! Kakashi! Arrest her for conspiracy and the attempted murder of the Hokage!" Shizune scowled.

--

"Well...looks like we got some spies..." whispered a raspy voice. A man with short, brown hair was kneeling on a boulder to the left of the road. He wore a pair of baggy pants with his headband straped to his right leg. It held the symbol of Otogakure on it.

"Shit. Sakura, Sasuke, Naruto and Hinata...you all go on. Me and Jiraiya will take care of this clown."

"I don't think so," rasped a throaty voice. Twenty more ninja appeared and surrounded the Konoha nin. "Attack!! But keep Tsunade and Uchiha alive!"

"Leave him be!!" yelled a far off voice. Sasuke looked around at hearing the tone..."Aniki-kun! Run! Take them and run!"

"Itachi..."

--

Me: I recently found that I like Itachi. He's so awesome! But...uh...we'll save the reasons for later. Anyways, for right now...I want anyone to review! Well...anyone who wants to. This chappie kinda jumped around a bit but it'll make sense after the next chapter.


	13. Code Red

Me: And now...to update. I'm finally getting rid of the cursed thing called writer's block!! XD

--

A black haired man, with lines under his eyes, ran to the group. He pushed them away and glared at the enemy shinobi. "_TSUKUYOMI!"_ The ninja collapsed after a few minutes. They cried out, and clasped their stomachs. "Finally...Aniki-kun. You've gotta turn back. I will not permit you past this point. But I will allow you to live."

"But...this is...impossible! I killed you!!" Sasuke gaped. He took a few steps back with a feeling of dark shock. He had ran his brother through...he had made sure...

"No, you merely killed what you _thought_ was me," Itachi said cooly. He turned to Naruto and Hinata and smirked, "So...the demon has found his mate...how sweet. Be wary of Akatsuki. They want to get you. There is only one other who hasn't been captured."

"One...other?"

"The jinchuriki with eight tails..."

Sakura stepped forward and said, "Itachi, step aside. We need to gather information on Otogakure. Sasuke told me that when he killed Orochimaru, Kabuto absorbed some of his master's DNA. I fear that Orochimaru might be taking over Kabuto and if he does...we're in for an ass-load of trouble."

"Hn. Too late. Orochimaru has already-"

"SURPRISE!!" hissed a sinister voice. The group turned to see Kabuto's body, with Orochimaru's eyes and hair. He was clasping the young Tsunade to his chest, making her incapable of escaping. "My dear...this time, you won't escape alive..." he whispered in her ear. With that, they disappeared.

"NO!" Jiraiya cried out.

--

Kakashi sat in the Hokage's office, stretching his legs on the desk. He jumped a little when Shizune's hand rested on his shoulder. "Hello, Shizune-chan. What are you up to?" he asked innocently.

Giving her boyfriend an unamused look, she replied, "Work. Now get up so that I may do so."

"You can sit on my lap. I don't feel like moving too much."

"Pervert..."

"And? You love me anyway, right?" his voice held a small tinkle to it, indicating he was teasing. She rolled her eyes and made him laugh. "C'mon. I insist. I have to be comfier than this chair."

"Fine..." she sighed in defeat and sat in Kakashi's lap. He grasped her waist and rested his head on her shoulder. "I'm worried about Tsunade-sama...she's smart enough to know that she should've sent a clone back to us relaying when they reached enemy territory..."

Suddenly, Naruto, Hinata, Sasuke, Sakura, and Jiraiya all burst into the room. "Tsunade's been captured by Orochimaru!!"

Shizune's face immediately blanched, her fears only solidified. Kakashi held her tightly and thought of a plan. He felt a bristling aura at the door and growled, "Enter before I make yo-"

Itachi, his coal black eyes holding a smile that didn't reach his face, said, "Hello, Kakashi. Long time, no see."

"Indeed. Now, as for the case of Tsunade-sama's kidnapping...why is Orochimaru doing this? He doesn't care about destroying the village anymore. Thoughts like that disappear with death..." Kakashi passed over Itachi's return, not at all suprised by it. He had secretly been suspecting that, despite how strong Sasuke had gotten, he couldn't defeat Itachi just yet.

Sasuke cut in, explaining, "But he never really died. I killed him and absorbed him; basically, I'm using the power his life force grants me and utilizing it in such a way that it becomes mine. But Kabuto wasn't strong enough. I warned him against absorbing that snake bastard but he wouldn't listen. And now, Orochimaru has taken over his body. But I fear that his plan is even more sinister than before..."

"How so...?" Shizune asked, her voice trembling.

"Well...it seems like he wants to destroy the village from the inside out. Starting with Hokage-sama, and then moving onto those that are closest to her. Be careful, Shizune-san," Itachi advised softly. At Itachi's warning, Kakashi clutched Shizune closer and nuzzled her neck tenderly. "Don't fear, Kakashi. I won't steal her away from you. And I'll make sure that no harm befalls her..."

The silver haired ninja spat, "I can do that well enough, thanks."

"Kakashi, calm down...it's fine. Itachi-san, I'm afraid that I must place you in the care of Kakashi and myself. Kakashi being former ANBU captain and myself being higher rank than ANBU. Not officially but I am. " Shizune clutched Kakashi's vest, knowing how protective he could be. "_Just don't get carried away...last time that happened, Pakkun wouldn't shut up about my ass," _the raven haired woman hissed to Kakashi.

"Right. But we need a plan of action. And fast."

"Agreed!" replied the chuunin. Sasuke nodded only, not wanting to talk again. At least...not yet.

--

"Well...Tsunade, Tsunade, Tsunade...it seems that this isn't your henge. You're really fifteen. To say the least, I'm shocked. How did you do it?" Orochimaru asked, his snake-like tongue writhing out and licking Tsunade's jaw.

"I don't know. And keep your hideous tongue OFF of me!" the blonde girl growled at the pale man. He had replaced Kabuto's face with his own, making sure that his arms worked properly. Tsunade tried to kick out, but something had taken all her stregnth. "What did you do to me, Orochimaru?"

"I simply injected you with a paraylizing poison. It won't kill you, though."

"I know that..." Tsunade grimaced. A sharp pain had entered her side. She looked down. A kunai was buried to the end of the blade in her side. '_Damn...the paralysis only works enough to keep me from moving. I can still feel pain!'_ She whimpered as his twisted the kunai, making the gash deeper. Attempting to gather her chakra, Tsunade met failure as Orochimaru laughed in triumph. "I-I can't manipulate chakra!"

"Exactly...now...tell me. Who is closest to you in life? Shizune, maybe?"

"No. But I'm not gonna tell you who is the very closest to me. ARGH!" The girl cried out in pain, and glanced down, her hazel eyes meeting a new wound. "Are you going to torture me to death, Orochiamru...?"

"No...I'm going to torture you into submission."

Tsunade gasped, "...No!"

--

TenTen walked, determined, to the Hokage's office. She had seen Sakura and Sasuke, Naruto and Hinata, and Jiraiya enter only moments before. She knocked and waited for permission to enter. When she got one, she stepped into the room. Shizune was sitting on Kakashi's lap, cuddled to his chest. She had been crying, and her face has flushed. Exhaustion had written itself into her body and made her appear small in the copy nin's arms. "Wha...what happened...?"

"TenTen-chan...we're now at code red. Hokage-sama has been captured by Orochimaru," Sakura stated. Her voice was soft, and hoarse.

"No...no way! That's impossible!" TenTen muttered.

Shizune said, "I'm afraid it's true. We have to put the entire village on code red. Please, go tell everyone. Get Neji to help you."

"Yes, Shizune-san. Please, excuse me." TenTen rushed out to find Neji. Graspinghis hands, she told him the news and fell into his arms. Her idol had been captured...after he comforted her, whispering sweet words and kissing and hugging her gently, they rushed to spread the word. Konohagakure was now at code red.

--

Me: I hope this chappie wasn't as random. I wanted it to have a purpose. So, please. Review! I got a bit of tough love about my writing from a friend but I hope it will make me a better writer!


	14. Torment

Me: Thanks to a wonderfully honest and constructive review, I am finally going to take my time. My other chapters were very rushed and random. I don't regret saying this: my past few chapters have really sucked. I hope to have the time to revise them and make them better. Later on, that is. So, please, have some patience with me and let me get my story to an acceptable level at which I think is good enough to post and I will update. (I still don't own Naruto.)

--

TenTen, her brown hair flowing onto her shoulders, sank gratefully into the water of the hot springs. Today had been stressful. The village was now on code red. Tsunade-sama had been captured. "What're we gonna do...?" she asked, her voice whiny.

The doors to the bath slid open to reveal Sakura, Ino, Hinata, Shizune, Kurenai, and Anko. Sakura greeted TenTen with a customary, "Hi!"

"Hey.." TenTen replied. Looking behind Sakura, she noticed a small figure trailing her pink haired friend. "Uh...Sakura-chan.."

"I know. That's Ryuumi. He followed me after I helped heal his paw," Sakura explained. Sure enough, once the jade eyed girl picked up the fluffy mass, TenTen could tell that Sakura was holding a panther cub. "Isn't he adorable?!"

Ino cut in by saying, "Yes, Sakura-chan, he's adorable, but won't poor Sasuke feel jealous?"

"Let him feel jealous. Poor, little Ryuumi-chan needs love too!" the pinkette squealed as she snuggled the tiny panther. He purred his agreement and bounded to sit next to TonTon.

Shizune got into the water and muttered, "Well, what're we gonna do? Tsunade-sama has been captured, I had Kakashi arrest Koharu..."

"NANI?! You had Kakashi arrest one of the elders?!" Kurenai sputtered.

"Yep. She was trying to get Neji to kill Tsunade-sama."

Anko grinned and poked Kurenai. "Told ya so. You can give me my money later."

The crimson eyed woman growled, "Anko-chan, if you value your life at all..."

"I'll shut up? Like that's ever stopped me before. And I'm still here today, aren't I?" the violet haired woman asked, her tone indicating sarcasm and pleasure.

"Will you two quit? I'm trying to think..." Shizune snapped. She sunk under the water, letting the heat wash over her and soothe her tense muscles. She resurfaced after a minute or so. "...I got nothin'..."

Hinata, who had been quiet during this entire thing, finally said, "We could infiltrate Otogakure by sending someone back as a spy. And then have that person get Tsunade-sama back. The others could fight after they were sure that Tsunade-sama was safe."

The rest of the group looked at her blankly until Kurenai stated, "Well, that plan is simple, tactical and meets arrangment quotas. Nicely done, Hinata."

"Thank you, Kurenai-sensei...Naruto, stop trying to peek!"

"...OK..."

--

Jiraiya moped about his apartment trying to figure out why he wasn't able to sense Orochimaru. '_And the weird thing is...I don't remember ever letting go of Tsu-hime's hand...I...I never told her how much I love her...'_ He glanced at his bed, where him and his hime had slept only the night before. He had held her extremely close that night. Her body was pressed tightly against his. '_What if hebi-teme...what if he hurts her?! I'll kill him! I'll kill him a thousand times over!'_ His alarm went off only a few minutes later. "Who-?!"

"Night-night." Jiraiya blacked out, not even feeling the arms that picked him up and carried him away.

--

Shikamaru walked down the darkened street, thinking, and mumbling to himself. He had finally talked to Inoichi formally. And the blonde man consented to let him date Ino. His mood was still dismal due to the recent events. Sure enough, their female Hokage had been a bit of trouble...yet understanding. Something caught his eye as he passed Jiraiya-sama's apartment. "What the..." A dark figure disappeared with a large mass in its arms. "Huh...I'd better tell Shizune." With that, the brunette teen rushed to the Hokage's office. He arrived within minutes. He knocked and entered when Shizune opened the door. She still looked stressed. "I just saw something sneak out of Jiraiya-sama's apartment window."

"All right. I'll send out some ANBU..."

"Shizune...you need to talk to Kakashi and then rest. You seem really stressed," Shikamaru advised. Shizune nodded and smiled kindly. Shikamaru walked off to find Ino.

--

Light spilled into Jiraiya's eyesight. He winced and tried to turn away. "Why can't I...move?"

"Oh, I simply used the same poison on you as I did on Tsunade-hime..." a raspy voice replied.

"OROCHIMARU! IF YOU HURT HIM, I'LL- AHHH!!" Tsunade's scream kept her from finishing her sentence. The pale faced man, their former teammate, had pressed a hot blade of metal against one of her open wounds. The sickening smell of burnt flesh seeped into the air.

"HIME!" Jiraiya cried out. Tears burned his eyes as he watched his beloved writhe in pain. And in a way, he felt the same searing pain. Only this time...he felt it through his heart. "Tsunade...Tsunade...what has he done to you?!" weeped the teenage Sannin. As he assessed the damage doen, he saw how many gashes and burns she had. They covered her mid-section, making her double over in pain to even breathe. '_Damn...and now, I can't even keep my promise to kill him...'_

--

Shizune sat down on her bed and cupped her head in her hands. "What'm I gonna do...? Hinata's plan will work but who will I send...?

Oh! Duh...I'll just send him..." She jumped when her door clicked shut. "Oh, shit..."

"Haha...you finally cuss and Tsunade isn't around to hear it. I should've recorded it on my phone..." Kakashi teased. He knelt in front of her and looked into her eyes. His right eye softened and teared up a little. "You need to rest...Tsunade-sama will be fine...I trust my team."

"I do too, Kakashi...I do too..." the dark haired woman replied. She shivered as a chill ripped down her spine. Natural instinct is powerful and can arise even in the most controlled of ninja. "Kakashi..."

The silver haired jounin recognized the glint in her eyes and matched it with his own. "I know..." he whispered as he lifted her into his arms and laid her back on the bed, "I know..."

--

Me: Err...wow. That got a bit...um...racy at the end, hm? Well...I always tmept myself but then...I never follow through with a lemon. My brother hates me for that. Oh well...Please review. Please!


	15. Rescue Mission

Me: So...I suppose it is time. To face Akatsuki! And...well, just read to find out!

--

Sasuke stomped down the road. It gave him chills knowing that Itachi was watching his every move. "You don't have to do this, you know!" he shouted.

Itachi appeared beside him and walked stealthily, his feet only barely touching the ground. His Akatsuki garb had been dismissed for more appealing apparel. He wore a pair of black shorts that went just past his knees and a mesh shirt. His black hair was still pulled back in a ponytail and he no longer wore the Akatsuki ring. "Of course I do, Aniki-kun. I have to keep you safe. Just as I always have."

"I suppose almost killing me with Tsukuyomi was protecting me?"

"I didn't almost kill you. I went easy on you. I never tried to kill you. I killed our clan to protect the village, you know," Itachi stated.

Sasuke looked at him with genuine surprise on his face. He stammered, "B-but why would you kill everyone?!"

The older Uchiha stared at him and said, "I just told you. To protect the village. You were too young to realize it but our clan was going to rebel against everyone else in Konoha. They wanted to kill the elders, the Hokage, the ANBU, and...the Senju."

"Senju?"

"The only clan that was as or more powerful than our own. Tsunade-sama is from the Senju clan."

"But didn't the Senju have protectors?"

"Yes. But they weren't as powerful as us. But their use of blades...it could've proven deadly for anyone. Even us."

"Who were they? The protectors of the Senju, I mean," Sasuke asked. His dark eyes were lit with curiousity as Itachi suddenly stopped walking. He started to ask why but turned to see that Itachi was gone and hiding in the trees again. _'I must be getting close to Orochimaru's lair.'_ Sasuke walked forward, his eyes surveying everything in their wake. Then he noticed the door with the curse insignia. "Gotcha."

--

Shizune rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Kakashi was already up and getting dressed. He muttered, "Rise and shine. The plan has already been put into action."

"Hmmm...well, I suppose that I should get all available shinobi ready to fight."

"No. All we need are the Rookie Nine and Gai's team. We'll need Anko, Kurenai and Asuma too. Iruka has to stay here and make sure everyone else gets into the shelters just in case."

"But..."

"Anko is bent on killing Orochimaru herself. After everything he did to her, she deserves to be the one to deal the final blow. But I get a bad feeling that the Akatsuki will make their move today. So, we'll have to fight them as well. I'm certain that team Gai can handle Zetsu and perhaps Deidara. Asuma's team and Kurenai's team can handle Kakuzu and Kisame. We'll go after Pain and Konan. After the others get rid of them, they can help us. Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke can get Tsunade and Jiraiya out and give Orochimaru to Anko. She's gonna have a hay day with him..."

"But Kakashi. What if...what if you aren't up to it? I don't want to lose you. Not after getting you back for such a short time..." Shizune whispered. Sitting up, she let the blankets fall. Kakshi looked at her and kneeled in front of her on the bed. He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her softly. Tears had started to fall from her face and her bare shoulders shook from the sobs that threatened to break loose. "I'm...not the type to let my emotions get the best of me but I don't want to lose you. And I'm ashamed to say that I don't want to die..."

"Don't be. I don't want to die either. But if it means being able to protect the woman I love," Kakashi paused to pull her against his still naked chest, "I will die."

Shizune finally let her emotions go and sobbed into Kakashi's neck. Her voice was soft and hoarse as she pleaded, "Please, don't make me lose you today..."

"I won't. At least, I hope I won't."

--

Shikamaru groaned as a tiny shove woke him from his slumber. "Nnnn...Ino, stop it. I wanna sleep some more..."

"Nara Shikamaru, you get out of that bed this instant or else I'll...I'll jump on you!" Ino threatened. She scowled as her brunette boyfriend pushed himself up on one elbow. The blonde girl was holding a tray of food to share and his shirt was slung over her shoulder. "C'mon. We have to go save Tsunade-sama today."

"Ino...I still wanna sleep! And besides, do you honestly think that jumping on top of me will do anything to really get me _out_ of bed?"

"...pervert."

"I'm hanging out with Naruto too much..."

--

Blood. It was everywhere. "N-no...Jiraiya..." Tsunade whimpered. She shivered when a cold hand rested on her cheek. Her hazel eyes were a smoldering color as she saw Orochimaru. "What do you want?"

"I'm waiting to hear who's closest to you in life. I can't wait to kill them right before your very eyes...and such beautiful eyes too. So angry, so sad...so _forlorn_..." Orochimaru sighed. A slam made him jolt until he recognized the feel of the chakra. "Welcome back, Sasuke-kun. I missed you."

"I bet. You took over Kabuto's body, like I thought you would."

"You know me too well."

Tsunade gazed at the dark haired boy, her eyes widening with horror as the supposed truth flooded her mind. Then something unexpected happened. A loud smash broke the thick silence and made Sasuke grin. He sneered, "I brought a few friends, I hope you don't mind!" He rushed forward and made a quick swipe with his fist. A sickening snap rippede through the air as he broke Orochimaru's arms. "There. Use your jutsu now, hebi-teme..."

Coughing brought Tsunade's attention away from the pair of snake summoners. It was Jiraiya. Naruto was supporting him and Sakura was brushing the rubble off of her shoulders. "What's up, Shishou?"

"Finally start respecting me again?"

"Shishou, I was teasing earlier. Now, after this is all done, we need to hand Orochimaru over to Anko. She's gonna have so much fun killing him...Shizune and all the rest of us have been so worried that you were dead already!"

At this point, Jiraiya piped up by saying, "Us? Dead? No way." He started hacking again, his throat filled with the putrid air. "Don't worry, hime...I'll be all right..."

--

Silver hair flashed by with a streak of black right beside it. Kakashi and Shizune were leading the group of ninja to the Akatsuki lair. They were met with the Akatsuki themselves just past the borders of Konoha. "Well? Ready to die?" Kakashi growled.

"Oh, we won't be the ones dying," Pain hissed. He leaped forward to be met with a familiar fist in his gut. "Wha...?"

"I don't think so..." Itachi replied calmly. He finished the swing of his fist and sent Pain flying back into Konan's arms. Cracking his knuckles, the oldest Uchiha brother looked at them with a lack of emotion. "So...trying to get the last of the jinchuuriki, I see."

"Being an ass as usual, I see," Deidara retorted hotly. He moved forward but was stopped by the cannibalistic Zetsu. "Zetsu, let me go, I'll kill him!"

"No. Do not," Zetsu's white half responded lightly. His dark half then stated, **"It would be unwise to attack like the baka you are."**

Deidara growled but stopped trying to move. Kakashi shook his head and stated, "If that's the way you act normally, then you guys won't win. Not by a long shot." Suddenly, and without warning, Kakashi sped forward and attacked Pain. He called upon Chidori and thrust the chirping chakra at the orange haired man. The group of Akatsuki scattered and left Pain and Konan. Kakashi shouted, "Shizune, you're statying here to battle Konan. The rest of you: follow and kill the others before they can get Naruto!"

"RIGHT!" replied the other groups. They darted off to start the hunt.

--

Me: Well, we didn't get to the fighting yet, but there was some action! Review and I'll update ASAP. X3


	16. Kill 'em all!

Me: And so...the battle begins. Ah, what the heck, I was being all melodramatic again. So, um...enjoy this chapter and, um...please review when you're done. So, yeah!

Recommended stories: (these are from some of my favorites)

"A Match Made in Heaven" by .xXx.hikari.midnight.xXx. this story is really cute and their personalities fit wonderfully! NejixTenTen

"Konoha Institute of Edumacation" by JirTsu a hilarious story. I couldn't stop laughing. I loved it!

--

Naruto rushed back to Konoha, the branches whipped his face. He was lugging Jiraiya on his back. "Ero-sannin...you better not die and make baa-chan sad again...we heard about how she nearly killed you last time..."

"I won't die on her...I'll never abandon her. Naruto...I want you to know something..."

Naruto glanced over his shoulder to look into the obsidian eyes of his teenage sensei. His own cerulean eyes began to water at the sight of Jiraiya's pain torn face. Slowly, he asked, "What...is it?"

"I'm your godfather...you see Minato...Yondaime...was your father. And I named you. I...wanted to tell you earlier," Jiraiya whispered. His voice was hoarse with emotion and sickness. Then, he turned to the spot where Itachi had suddenly appeared. "What is it, Itachi?"

"It's the Akasuki. They're on their way for Naruto-kun. They want to extract the bijuu from him. Then...they'll have all nine. We have to get back to Konoha quickly and warn the others. Plus...I don't know how much longer Tsunade-sama can hold out," Itachi said, revealing the small, blonde figure in his arms. Jiraiya audibly gasped. "Sakura-chan healed most of her wounds but she stayed behind to fight off the Akatsuki. Oh, yeah. Naruto-kun. She told me to tell you this: 'Aniki-kun, if you get killed and make Hinata-chan cry, I'll bring you back and kill you myself. That's a promise!' " Itachi quoted.

"Same ole' nee-chan..." Naruto grinned. Upon reaching the village, Naruto took Jiraiya to the hospital. Taking Tsunade too, Itachi stood by as the two Sannin were carried into the emergency room. "Do you...wanna fight?"

"To protect Konoha, I will fight. And...to protect my aniki-kun."

"Then...let's go!" Naruto commanded. He strode out of the hospital, his face set in a hard stare. Standing in front of Hokage Rock, Naruto gathered all the shinobi that had been left behind. The blonde jinchuuriki shouted, "Tsunade-sama is safe! As is Jiraiya-sama! Orochimaru has been captured and taken to Anko to be...dealt with. So, now...the Akatsuki want to come and destroy the village in search of me! I won't let them! Follow me and protect Konohagakure, the greatest village in the Land of Fire!!" The crowd of shinobi cheered and left behind a group big enough to defend against at least twenty enemies. The rest followed Naruto as they rushed to where Itachi had said to wait.

"Naruto-kun. Be careful, they're just ahead. They..."

"They what, Itachi? Well, spill it!!"

"They've got Hinata-chan..." Itachi whispered. Naruto immediately felt a frantic build in his chakra. The eldest Uchiha said, "Don't do anything-" He was cut off mid-sentence as Naruto pushed off from the branch with enough force to almost break it. He continued to himself, "...stupid..."

--

"Anko...you finally get to kill him..." Iruka growled as Sasuke entered the designated clearing. Orochimaru was struggling in a fruitless attempt to escape his death. The brunette chuunin scowled, making his scar twist in a surprisingly terrifying face. He was standing beside the violet haired woman, who was itching to finish off the pale man.

Sasuke flung the snake eyed man at their feet. He was shocked to see that Anko cut the ropes to make it a fair fight. "I won't fight him unless I know it's even. I just refuse to..." Anko mumbled. Her eyes were lit with anticipation, even if her voice was somber.

The raven haired teen nodded in understanding and leaped away to find Sakura. Anko turned to Orochimaru and scowled. He hissed, "Will you really kill me, Anko? Can you kill me?"

Drawing a kunai, Anko crouched and lunged at her former sensei. "I sure as hell can!" She slashed at him, switching to her fists every once in a while. Then she drew out a crooked looking blade. She kept the sheath in her right hand, making languid swings at his throat with her left. Then, when he thought he had gotten her pattern down, he tried for a counter attack.

"There's your weakness!" he shouted in a triumphant voice. A sickening crunch erupted from the area and it seemed like time stood still. Looking down, Orochimaru saw blood spilling from the ragged cut of the blade. "H-how..?"

"Look at which hand is holding the blade, Orochimaru-teme..." Anko grinned. Her right hand twisted the sword further into his gut, making the red liquid spurt from the wound. "And you said you had figured it out..."

"Anko, he's dead...he can't hear you anymore..." Iruka whispered as he stepped forward. Clutching her hands, he helped her wrench the sinister blade from the abdomen of the former Sannin. When she realized she had finished him, the violet haired woman collapsed contentedly in Iruka's arms.

--

Bright light pushed itself into Tsunade's vision. "Ow! Why's it so damn bright?! What the fuck is going on?!" The blonde sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. On the stretcher next to her, she saw Jiraiya, grinning his ass off. "Why're you so happy? I thought you had died, baka-kun!" She launched herself into his arms and kissed his face repeatedly. "Baka, baka, baka!! Why'd you have to get yourself captured?! I was scared to death when I saw Orochimaru chaining you up!!"

"Hime, Hime, calm down. I'm fine. And you're all right too. It's all good. So, just chill," Jiraiya whispered. He held her closely and ran his fingers through her golden tresses. Snuggling against his chest, Tsunade sighed happily and let him rub her back. "Um, shouldn't we go help fight the Akatsuki?"

"Oh..oh, yeah we should. Let's go!" Tsunade commanded. She put on Jiraiya's kimono(she was still in the mesh shirt and she has black shorts on; she wasn't naked.) and then her sandals. Jiraiya pulled a mesh covering over his recently healed torso and pulled on his kabuki sandals. They ran out of the hospital and towards the outskirts of Konoha. "Jiraiya...there's something I've been meaning to tell you. It's about Minato..."

"Nani?" Jiraiya asked.

"That night...the night we were together...you got me pregnant," Tsunade stated, "And nine months later, a little boy with blonde hair and sky blue eyes was born. So, the student you always thought of as a son was indeed your son..."

The white haired Sannin glanced unseeingly at the area around him. '_Minato was really my son? With Tsunade? I thought that he had a lot of Tsunade's qualities. But also a lot of mine. Leave it to Sarutobi-sensei and Tsunade to keep it hidden from me.'_

"Jiraiya, are you mad at me? I wanted to tell you but I was still so upset about..well...you know," Tsunade sighed.

"Hime, it's fine...I'm not mad at you. I'm just shocked. Minato really was my son after all..." Jiraiya smiled. He laughed as he stated, "In some ways...he was a lot like you. It was so funny. He would get so angry when he couldn't surpass me at something almost immediately. But his chakra control was absolutely superb."

"Must've gotten it from me..." Tsunade teased with a feigned tone of superiority. Giving her a skeptical look, Jiraiya refocused his sights on rescuing Naruto. And all the others who had saved them.

--

Sakura punched and punched, getting closer to striking her opponent each time. "Oi, flytrap-boy! Why don't you try and devour me? You're a cannibal, right? Well, I'm lean! And one more thing-" Her fist finally connected with the white half of Zetsu's face. "I pack a punch!"

**"Rargh! Insolent bitch!"**Zetsu's dark half screeched. He spun and kicked her back. Then his body froze and he collapsed. The white half grinned and said, "Oi, forehead girl, you all right?"

"Ino! Shikamaru, Chouji, Temari! You're all here!" Sakura exclaimed. She jumped to her feet when she saw Ino struggling to maintain control. "It's ok, Ino. I can finish him off!" Ino's mind left Zetsu's body and allowed Sakura to conclude the battle. Zetsu's white half was still reeling and didn't notice the chakra enhanced punch that the pinkette had charged up. His dark half tried to control the entirety of the body and failed. Sakura's fist crushed the bone aroung Zetsu's heart and actually went through his body. Blood spurted out and his shredded heart flew out the back. It made a squelching sound as it hit the tree and fell limply to the ground. Shikamaru looked on in disgust. Temari was just staring and Chouji looked like he was going to barf. Ino, on the other hand, was smiling proudly. "Told ya I could finish him of."

"I didn't doubt you for a second. I wonder how the others are doing..." Ino mumbled as Kurenai and Asuma stumbled through the trees. They were lugging Kisame's bloodied form along with Kakuzu's limbs. "Uh...I'm guessing I don't even wanna know what you did to the dude that was obsessed with money..."

Asuma grinned and said, "Yeah, that's a really gruesome story. I don't think you'd wanna hear it."

"Kurenai, you shouldn't even be fighting! You're pregnant!" Sakura scowled.

"So? Do you honestly think a pregnant woman can't fight?"

"Oh, I think you can..."

"Then don't complain."

--

Me: Well, I'm glad that I'm finally updating this story. Phew! We're almost done with this one...I say almost because there's gonna be a teeny tiny timeskip...after the fighting of course! But I'm sure you'll enjoy the outcomes! Oh and doesn't Orochimaru's death sound a little too nice? I think I should've been a little more...evil but that was about as bad as I could come up with. I wanted to make Zetsu's deaht pretty quick since I don't know too much about him...please review!! Hugs for those who bother to review!!


	17. Last Resort

Me: Hi, everyone! I'm alive! Amazingly..damn doctors almost drove me sane...XD So here's the next chappie! I've really tried working on this as much as I could so I can work on my other projects and stuff.

I don't have much to say for stories...it's been so long since I've been on. As always, check out some of .xXx.hikari.midnight.xXx.'s stories. I really like those! Also: jiraiyatsunade4ever, JirTsu, and Rei-Yuugasa all have good stories! I've read almost all of their stories. So, yeah. I know from experience. XD

--

'_No. No! Not Hinata. Not when I had finally realized how much I cared for her. I'm not gonna let them kill her!!'_Naruto swore inwardly. He felt his anger building rapidly. A rush of chakra flooded into his senses and caused him to question the demon. '_What're you doing, Kitsu?'_

**"Nothin' big, Kit. I'm giving you a small fraction of my power. I don't want you to lose your mate. I lost mine once and we're actually a lot alike."**

_'You..lost your mate?'_

**"Yeah. That teme, Pain, killed her. Along with my own kits who weren't even born yet..."**

_'So, you were gonna be a dad? That's terrible. And Pain killed them?'_

**"The lust for power is a terrible thing, Kit. As I've seen you fight...I can see the potential in you, Kit. Now, don't get cocky. I'm just saying..."**

_'Hehe. You sound like you're kinda changing, Kitsu...are you turning into a big fluff ball?' _

**"I WILL NEVER BE A FLUFF BALL!!" **

Naruto left the Kyuubi to sulk and grinned to himself. '_I won't lose her. Hinata is my mate...I'm gonna protect her. I'm gonna protect...EVERYONE!' _(Pretty familiar line, ne?) He rushed through the dense forest, his blonde hair creating a golden streak if you couldn't keep up with him. He landed in the clearing after a few minutes. Looking around, Naruto spotted Konan standing with Hinata slumped beside her. "_**WHAT DO YOU WANT WITH HINATA?!"**_

"It's not what we want with Hinata. Rather...it's what we want with what's inside of you..." Konan growled. She started to move forward but was brought up short. A slightly shorter form stood in her way. A quick movement and two kunai met with incredible force. Spiraling backwards, Konan regained her footing after a spin or two. "Oh...so you're alive? I'm surprised..."

"Ya know what? I kinda want you to just SHUT UP!!" shouted the tiny blonde. She punched hard at Konan and yelled back at Naruto, "Well, baka, are you gonna save your girlfriend or what?!"

"Be quiet...baa-chan."

--

Sakura jumped into the trees, feeling them whip at her legs. After each leap, she landed gracefully on the branches, only to go for another. Brushing back her now longer bangs, the young Haruno drew out an old scroll. The teen stooped and kneeled on a sturdy, wide branch. Opening the scroll, the pinkette gazed at the signs and kanji, telling her what to do. "Father...I hope...that I can make you proud...if only...one last time."

--

Sasuke raced to find Sakura, his normally calm nerves running like he was. He came up short when he stood face to face with Suigetsu, Juugo, and Karin. "Sorry, Sasuke-kun. But we can't allow you to pass. After all...you ditched us." Karin was scowling.

The raven haired teen looked at them blankly, and said softly, "You aren't going to stop me, you know."

Suigetsu flashed forward and drew his blade. He swore, "You mother fucker, I'm gonna rip you to- guh..." In an instant, the teen boy was torn in half. He laughed, "HAHAHAHA!! You think that'll stop me?! Well, here's some news for ya: It won't!!"

The next moment, a man with raven black hair stood behind the halved body of Suigetsu. He opened his eyes to reveal the deep crimson of the Sharingan as he spoke, "I don't believe that you'll be able to move much...after this." Performing a few hand signs, Itachi pressed his upturned palms against suigetsu's back and right leg. Blood, the deepest red, spurted forward and drenched Karin and Juugo.

--

"KAKASHI!!" Shizune screamed. Her eyes were wide as she saw his real body torn. He was panting and clutching the massive gash in his side. He collapsed on the ground, letting his right shoulder, burned as it was, fall against the blood soaked dirt. She ran to heal him, but instead met with Pain.

"Now listen. I don't want to kill you, per se. But...you are proving to be quite the bother. And how someone as worthless as you could be such a problem is very discombobulating," seethed the orange haired man. He stretched out one arm and flung it across Shizune's face. Flying backwards at the burning heat, she winced. Then, the dark haired girl commenced to heal herself.

'_Sakura...Tsunade-sama...please, hurry! Senju..and Haruno...once again reunited...'_

--

Iruka sat with Anko next to him. Asuma and Kurenai were sitting across from them, just as pissed. Iruka sighed, "I can't believe that I wasn't informed of this...Anko, how could you?!"

"I _meant_ to tell you...I just...never got around to doing so." The violet haired woman turned away, letting her chocolate brown eyes fall on nothing particular. She giggled (A/N: Yes, that says _giggled_. And that's pretty rare for Anko. Especially Anko.), "It must be something in the water, I tell ya..." She looked at Iruka with sudden gentleness as she asked, "Do you...do you want me to-"

"No, Anko. I love you. I have since we were kids. You were the only one who understood my pain after my parents died. And so...I want you to keep the baby, Anko."

--

**:FLASHBACK: "Oi...Shizune-chan? Why're you and your oji-chan living with Tsunade-sama?" asked Kakashi. His charcoal eyes gazed at the girl with intense curiousity. He had stayed the night at the apartment. It had been raining the previous night and Tsunade had insisted that the silver haired boy stay. **

**The dark haired girl turned to look at the boy, her equally dark eyes piercing his. She said, "Well...my oji-chan loves Tsunade-sama and she kind of reciprocates those feelings."**

**"...you know too many big words."**

**"Hahaha...not nearly enough," giggled Shizune. She blushed and laid her head against Kakashi's chest. "I mean, I'm already twelve; my vocabulary should be much more extensive by now, don't you think?" Giving a soft laugh as the boy tickled her, she tried to pull away.**

**"Oi! Oi! Wasn't your family the protectors of the Senju?" questioned the young jounin. He grunted lightly as the girl leaped at him. They wrestled, to prove who was stronger. And to see which one would cave first. **

**"No...the protectors of the Senju are the-" :END FLASHBACK:**

'_Why can't I...remember more?' _Kakashi asked himself. He opened his only normal eye and watched helplessly as Shizune fought to get to him. _'Shizune...don't...don't save me. I can handle it...I can protect you.'_

"LEAVE IT BE, BITCH!! HE'S GONNA DIE ANYWAY!!" Pain shouted. His temper had finally hit its peak. Rushing forward, he thrust his fist forward and grinned as it met with flesh and cracking bone.

'_SHIZUNE!!'_

--

Me: I'm sorry that this chapter is so short. But I'm trying to build suspense. It'll all end in the next chapter. So be ready for it!!


	18. GoodBye, Brave Warriors

A/N: It's been so long since I've updated this story…I feel so bad. But, here is the shocking end to the battle against Akatsuki. Don't hate me but this is the way the story needs to go to move forward. Forgive me!!

--

Naruto grabbed Hinata and carried her to the clearing where Iruka, Anko, Kurenai and Asuma all sat. He set her down and mumbled to Kurenai, **"Watch over her for me."** The demon's voice rang deep in his throat and the chakra was beginning to eat away his flesh. The blonde boy ran off, in search of Tsunade and Jiraiya.

--

"Pain! It's Tsunade and Jiraiya!" Konan shouted over the chaos. The other Akatsuki members had been defeated and the only ones left were Pain, Konan and Tobi.

The orange haired man stood over Shizune's limp body, his mouth turning in disgust. Kakashi had managed to limp over and drape himself over her in an attempt to protect his beloved. Silver hair, the ends singed, lay flat against his forehead; he was sweating profusely. "Pathetic. Let's go, Ko-" The earth shook and the two lead Akatsuki members looked up. Gamabunta landed on the trees surrounding the group and allowed the two Sannin to get down. Both teens glared at the Akatsuki leaders. "Well, well. Looks like you two had a little mishap."

"Just a slight one. Doesn't mean we can't stop you," Tsunade sneered. Her hair had fallen and now blew freely in the wind. The four high level shinobi suddenly leapt forward, kunai and fists flying. Jiraiya groaned a bit when a kunai sliced his side. But he kept going, his fist landing perfectly in Pain's gut. The two men rolled on the ground, beating each other senseless. Tsunade, on the other hand, was busy trying to sever Konan's chakra network. The women went round and round, deflecting punches and chakra scalpels. Finally, Tsunade and Jiraiya managed to restrain the criminals.

"Oi, Bunta. Do it."

The old toad whined, "But Jiraiya…"

"Do it, Bunta. I'll see you in a matter of years, you old toad." The white haired teen grinned, his confidence never faltering. But then, when he turned to look at Tsunade, there were tears in his eyes. Stammering, he said, "I love you, Tsunade. Will you…w-will you promise you'll be on the other side with me?"

"Of course, baka. Just…hold me and we'll get there together." The Sannin spooned and kept their grip on the Akatsuki leaders.

"Now, Bunta!"

"Got it!" Suddenly, a stream of oil and fire mixed to completely swallow the high ranking shinobi. The old toad was about to cry as he saw the flames devour his human friend. But… at the same time, he recognized it as the most beautiful and romantic moment he had ever witnessed. Jiraiya had kept his arms wrapped tightly around Tsunade, and the two Sannin had died together with smiles on their faces. "Good-bye…gama-bozu."

--

Sakura could smell fire and she panicked. Taking the blade, she raced to find her Shishou. Sasuke joined her, and she exclaimed, "Oh, Sasuke! You're safe!" The raven haired boy kissed the pinkette softly as he smiled. The girl frowned, however and muttered, "I think…I think Shishou needs our help. And- NARUTO!"

The blonde joined them and growled, **"Let's go already. Ero-Sannin and Baa-chan need us."** The three teammates ran quickly, watching carefully for any hint of their teachers. Then, they encountered a horrifying sight. In the middle of a clearing, a huge burnt mass of land sat. Gamabunta had moved slightly to lean over Kakashi and Shizune. The two jounin were sitting up, holding each other as they cried. **"What happened? Where's Pain?"**

"Tsu...Tsunade-sama and Jiraiya-sama…took care of them. But they're… they're gone too…" Shizune explained between sobs. Her onyx eyes were tired, dull. And Kakashi understood the pain his lover was experiencing. He gently rubbed her back and kissed her cheek tenderly.

Naruto began to calm down, the Kyuubi's chakra receding. However, he suddenly met with the ground. Above him, a voice chimed, "Hello, jinchuriki! Would you mind if I take that demon out of you? You're becoming such a pest." The orange masked man tilted his ahead a bit.

"**GET OFF OF ME!!"** Naruto shouted. His yellow hair prickled and turned even wilder as the chakra returned. He began to gather his chakra as Tobi stood up.

Tobi asked, "Do you really think that a simple Rasengan will kill me? Oh, how disappointing. I was was hoping for a fun battle! I haven't had a good fight since me and Hashirama fought, you know."

"What? But that would mean that you're…" Sakura trailed off, her jade eyes widening as she connected the points. "Uchiha Madara."

Sasuke sucked in a breath and glared at the man. He could feel the anger rising in his chest. The young Uchiha stalked forward and gathered his chakra. It began to chirp and form a blistering white light. He charged forward at the same time Naruto did. The teenage boys shouted, "THIS ENDS TODAY!! UCHIHA AND SENJU DON'T HATE EACH OTHER NOW!" Sakura rushed forward as well, her chakra buzzing at a deadly frequency.

--

As the trio fought the last Akatsuki member, Shizune and Kakashi looked on helplessly. The ebony haired woman mumbled, "I think Sakura figured it out…"

"Hm? Do you mean to tell me that the Haruno clan were the protectors of the Senju?" the silver haired copy nin questioned incredulously.

The woman nodded and stated, "They were originally a family of samurai who made swords. Sakura's great-great-grandfather became close to Hashirama, Tsunade's grandfather. Then, my great-grandfather befriended both of them. Our families helped one another without worry of betrayal. And when the Uchiha- distant cousins of the Senju- came to get rid of the prestigious Forest Clan, the Haruno clan used their skills as shinobi. But, a lot of them died protecting the Senju and my clan."

"Oh…but why is Sakura so…"

"Powerful? Intelligent? She has to be. That's the way her father trained her when he was still alive. And…it's kinda like natural talent. It just never appeared before."

--

The battle had waged for several minutes- nearly an hour. Team Seven panted heavily as Tobi sat back. Sakura sneered, "Bad time to sit back and relax, you know."

"Hm? It is? I thought you three were dead. I guess I need to finish you off."

Sasuke once again gathered his chakra to form Chidori. Naruto formed his Rasengan and Sakura pulled out her father's blade. The trio suddenly had an idea. Smiling at one another, they pushed their weapons together. "RASENDORI: SAMURAI NO MAI!" The blade penetrated Tobi's chest and he staggered back.

He pulled away the mask and choked out, "Fuck…"

--

A/N: …my God, that sucked! I think I should just redo this entire story! Get it all recollected in my head and revise it. Damn, my old part of this story sucked. And I still can't write fight scenes. Oh well. This story will be done soon and I might post a new version of it later. Thanks for the support. Last chapter is next!


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